


real love (is never a waste of time)

by callistawolf



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternative Universe - No Island, Angst with a Happy Ending, Business, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Flashbacks, Horseback Riding, Karaoke, Marriage of Convenience, Minor Angst, Partners to friends to lovers, Partnership, Romantic Comedy, Sharing a Bed, Skinny Dipping, Smut, Vacation, Weddings, minor Thea/Roy - Freeform, tropical island
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-03-15 03:52:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 84,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13604955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callistawolf/pseuds/callistawolf
Summary: Oliver and Felicity are CEOs who are more partners than they are rivals, but they still bicker whenever they meet up. Constantly pestered by their families and board members, they turn to each other for a simple solution. But marriage is never simple, especially when these two are involved. When Oliver's younger sister decides to hold her much-anticipated wedding on a tropical island and insists her brother and his wife attend, will the island paradise prove to be the tipping point in their carefully balanced relationship?





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are introduced to Oliver and Felicity, as well as their unorthodox relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my new fic! I'm actually still writing this one (cue the nail biting), so this is new for me. But I'm way ahead, working on chapter 9 as I post this, and close enough to the end that I feel more comfortable sharing this now. 
> 
> This fic incorporates a lot of elements I enjoy and some that I've been wanting to play around with. I love fake relationships and the idea of a sham marriage that they have to pretend is real in an isolated setting is delightful to me. Plus, the tropical island setting... I love that and have wanted to work with this for AGES. Can you tell where I got the island name from? ;) 
> 
> The first few chapters have a bit of a flashback structure to them, but as you'll see from reading this chapter, they're clearly marked. The POV switches between the two of them, depending on the scene, another thing to be aware of. 
> 
> Most of all, enjoy this! I'm excited to share it and hope you all like it!

Felicity Smoak was the queen of her domain. Most days, she felt pride in all that she’d accomplished at such an early age. She was one of very, very few female CEOs under 30 who made the Fortune 500 list and that was due entirely to a lot of hard work and long nights. She’d sacrificed a social life to get to this point in her life but as far as Felicity was concerned, that was a sacrifice she was more than willing to make. She loved having friends, but a love life only led to trouble and heartbreak and she was better off without that.

Today, however, her fast-paced life that was centered around her company was giving her nothing but a huge, raging headache.

“Felicity, I need your signature on these documents,” Curtis Holt told her, following her as she strode through the top floor offices of Smoak Technologies.

“Follow me, Curtis, I’ll sign them when I get to my desk,” she called over her shoulder. “What’s the status of the Wayne Tech project?”

“That’s what these documents are about,” he said. “Queen added some last minute stipulations to his end of the deal and Wayne accepted them but it’s not official until you sign off.”

Felicity rolled her eyes. “That man is a menace,” she muttered. “Good morning, Janice!”

Her executive assistant smiled at her, handing her a folder as she passed her desk. “Good morning, Ms. Smoak. Everything you need for the day is in there, including some meeting requests, your schedule at the convention next month and the earnings report that you requested yesterday.”

“Thank you, Janice.”

Her assistant got up and followed her and Curtis into her office. She was carrying a cup of coffee from Felicity’s favorite cafe down the street. “And here’s your latte,” she said, passing it to her as Felicity rounded her desk.

“You’re a lifesaver.” She took a long drink, relishing the flavor and willing the caffeine to do it’s magic.

Janice returned to her desk and Curtis passed her the documents as she dropped into her chair.

Catching her lip between her teeth, she leafed through the papers until she found the changes to the agreement that Curtis had mentioned. This was a huge deal for all the companies involved, sharing technology and resources in order to build something that would actually make people’s lives better. Felicity was excited about this and had been working on this deal with Wayne Tech and Queen Consolidated for the better part of six months now.

That Oliver snuck something into the contracts and potentially threatened the future of the entire project rankled her nerves. But that was something the QC CEO was very, very good at. It made her wonder if he’d done it just to get under her skin.

Felicity read through the changes quickly. Thankfully, the stipulations weren’t going to derail the project. But they did irritate her. It involved QC being more involved in the development of the technology and while Felicity knew she should be grateful for the help, she was irritated at possibly having to share the limelight with QC. And Oliver would know that.

Damn him.

Felicity grumbled under her breath as she added her signature to the documents and then passed them back to Curtis. “Fax those directly to Wayne and set up a meeting. Find out if he can come here and if not, look into booking tickets to Gotham sometime in the next week.”

“You got it, boss,” Curtis said, giving her a mock salute.

Felicity rolled her eyes and smiled at her employee, friend, and partial share partner. “I’m not your boss.”

“Technically, you are.”

“We work _together_ ,” she clarified.

“Yes, and you call the shots. Which makes you the boss.” With a wink, Curtis left the office and Felicity couldn’t help chuckling as she was left alone.

She didn’t have much time to stew about her business partner because her busy day got busier. Felicity worked through lunch, having her favorite deli deliver a salad right to her desk. She had phone calls and meetings and even a tour of the newly upgraded Research and Development lab that had just been completed down on floor 10.

By the time she returned from that, the sun was starting to set in the sky outside the Smoak Tech building and her feet were aching in her Jimmy Choos. Felicity was looking forward to returning to her apartment, soaking in her tub and having a few glasses of wine while she caught up on her DVR.

What she was not interested in was dealing with a visitor waiting for her in her office.

“I’m so sorry, Ms. Smoak,” Janice said as Felicity passed her desk. Her assistant was on her feet, wringing her hands together. “I tried to tell him you were busy, to call and make an appointment like you told me to whenever he stopped in, but he just barged right in anyhow.”

Felicity narrowed her eyes at her office door. “Who?”

Janice licked her lips, looking a little unsure. “Your… I mean… Mr. Queen.”

Felicity sighed and huffed out a resigned laugh. “Of course. I should have expected this. Hold my calls until I can get rid of him, okay?”

“Yes, Ms. Smoak.”

Felicity took a deep breath before she pushed open her office door. Kicked back in one of the chairs in her sitting area sat Oliver Queen, Queen family scion and CEO of Queen Consolidated. She tried to mask her scowl as she came around to face him.

He looked good, but then, he always did. Oliver was born blessed, not just in name, status and wealth, but in looks and overall genetics. He was tall and muscular, looking more like he managed a gym rather than a multinational corporation. He had sandy brown hair, cut short but still with a bit of casual tousle on the top. Just enough to make a girl wonder what it might be like to grab onto in the throes of passion. He wore just the right amount of stubble on his perfect jaw, framing luscious looking lips. His eyes were startlingly blue and sharp and they focused on her as she stood in front of him, her arms crossed.

“Hello, Ms. Smoak, thank you for seeing me,” he said, smirking up at her. He gestured at the chair opposite her but Felicity ignored him, sighing.

“I’m rather busy today, Oliver. I thought we agreed, no office visits.”

“I’m hurt!” he said and she didn’t buy it for a second.

“Tell me what you need so I can get back to work,” she replied, refusing to be charmed by him.

“Can’t I just want to stop by and see your smiling face?” Oliver asked innocently. Felicity stared him down with a frown and he winced. “Okay, so no smiling face then…”

“You’re wasting my time,” she told him. “As usual. If you’re not here for any specific reason then you’ll pardon me if I get back to work—”

Oliver stood, raising his hand as if to stop her. He paused, his hand hovering inches away from her arm. “Wait… I just… I wanted to see if you got the updated documents I sent over this morning.”

Felicity paused. “Yes, and I signed them and told Curtis to send them on to Wayne.”

“Why didn’t you send me a copy? I had no idea if you’d even received them.”

She blew out a breath and rubbed at her sore temples. “I—I don’t know, Oliver. It didn’t cross my mind, I had other things going on and I just wanted to get that deal sewn up as soon as possible.”

“Which is why I wanted to make sure you had it first thing this morning.”

“Were you expecting a cookie and a pat on the head, Oliver?” she challenged him, her patience quickly running out.

“From you?” he scoffed, but his eyes twinkled with merriment. “I wouldn’t hold my breath. But I was hoping for some sort of acknowledgement at least.”

“Well consider this your acknowledgement. Now if you’ll excuse me—”

“Felicity, this deal is great news… for both our companies. I was thinking, maybe we could celebrate? What do you say? We can go out for drinks and toast this success together.”

He had this hopeful look on his face that made her heart trip for a moment before she gathered herself. “Don’t you have a score of buxom underwear models you would rather celebrate your win with?” she asked him, teasingly.

His face fell slightly but the expression was gone as quickly as it’d formed. “Naturally, I do,” he replied. “But I just thought maybe you’d like to get out for once.”

Felicity glared. “Since when do you care about my social life?”

“I don’t,” Oliver said with a negligent shrug. “I just thought I’d show you what it’s like to live a little.”

“Please. I’m not some charity case.”

“Could have fooled me.”

Felicity shook her head. This was an ongoing teasing argument with them and she normally happily took part but today, she wasn’t in the mood. For once, couldn’t they just keep it to business? Why did he always try to edge in on her personal life? Was it just to make her feel bad?

“I’m sorry, I’ll have to pass on your ‘offer’, charming as it was,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Oliver’s lips twitched a little but he kept his expression bland. “It’s your loss.”

“Funny, I don’t think _not_ spending an evening with you is a loss.”

Oliver cocked his head as he regarded her. “Is something wrong? You seem more… tired today. You’re not usually this annoyed with me.”

“It’s been a long day,” she admitted. “Though you have to admit, you’re rather annoying.”

That made him grin. “That’s a true story. Well, I hope you get a chance to relax tonight, then. You deserve it.”

“Thanks,” she mumbled, a little flustered by his sincerity.

He moved towards her office door, glancing back at her as he opened it. “Thanks for signing the papers and getting them sent out. Enjoy your evening, Ms. Smoak.”

“And you, yours, Mr. Queen.”

The door closed with a satisfying snick and Felicity sank into the chair behind her desk. She rubbed at her temples again. A drink sounded divine, actually, and Felicity could have gone for one or two or ten right about then. But she was trying to limit the time she spent socially with Oliver. She felt it was smarter to keep their relationship strictly professional.

The huge irony of thinking that way was that the man wasn’t just a business partner, but he was also her husband.

***

_Four years ago…_

Felicity Smoak was the youngest CEO, not just in the United States, but in the world. Admittedly, Smoak Tech wasn’t much to look at. Yet. In the four years since she’d graduated from MIT with dual masters degrees, she’d worked her rear end off to gain enough funding and support from bigger and more established companies to get her dream off the ground.

Right now, Smoak Tech was working out of a converted loft in downtown Starling City. But one day, she’d have a skyscraper, along with Merlyn Global and Queen Consolidated. She was just six months in with the new company, but they were already making progress.

She was only twenty-three, and being both young and female, it was difficult to be taken seriously in the business world. Curtis Holt, a brilliant engineer and inventor she’d met at MIT, was her partner and as much as she hated to admit it, the suits took her a lot more seriously in meetings when he accompanied her. So she and Curtis had been traveling around the country the last couple years, giving their presentation in meetings and basically begging other businesses to work with them. It’d worked, more or less. But there was still more ground to cover.

Now that things were up and running, Curtis wasn’t as available to accompany her as he had been before. He was in the lab almost constantly, working on inventions and refining hardware interfaces. So Felicity was on her own when it came to drumming up funding and projects for their new startup. She would have vastly preferred doing the fun work, the coding and software implementation that was her speciality. But the fact remained that, young woman or not, she had the better social skills between the two of them.

Which wasn’t really saying much as she still tended to babble when she was nervous. God, she hoped she didn’t babble in this meeting. While support from Queen Consolidated wasn’t imperative to Smoak Tech’s success, it would certainly make things a lot easier and give Felicity and her meager staff of five people some much needed breathing room.

“Mr. Queen will see you now,” the woman behind the desk said. She was his executive assistant, she figured. The woman gestured her towards the door to his office and Felicity stood from the sofa and smiled, nodding at the woman in thanks.

It wasn’t just everything that was riding on this partnership that had Felicity feeling nervous; Oliver Queen was something of a celebrity. He was the oldest child of the influential Queen family and had been a fixture on gossip websites for as long as Felicity could recall. When he was a teenager, the public attention been because of his antics out in public, be it public arrests or dating the latest reality star train-wreck. Now that he was older, twenty-eight by her count, it was more because he was considered the most eligible bachelor on the west coast and everyone wanted to know if and when that status might change.

Felicity absolutely was _not_ in the market for anyone, hunky billionaire bachelor or not. But she’d seen pictures of him online and on the news. He was devastatingly attractive. And there was just no way that his good looks weren’t going to tie her tongue at least a little. Felicity knew and accepted this flaw of hers.

Felicity walked into the office, keeping her head held high. She wanted to look professional and serious and had picked out a sensible pencil skirt and blouse to back that up. Her smokey eye makeup and red lipstick also helped her look a touch older. She knew she looked good; and hopefully it was enough to be taken seriously.

Oliver Queen sat behind a massive mahogany desk and he smiled at her, getting to his feet.

“Felicity Smoak, I’ve heard so much about you. I’m glad to have a chance to meet you at last,” he said, coming around his desk with a hand outstretched.

Felicity took it, shaking it with one solid pump. “Mr. Queen. Thank you for agreeing to see me today.”

“Please, call me Oliver. Mr. Queen is my father.” He smiled enigmatically at her, his sharp blue eyes twinkling and Felicity had to avert her eyes or risk blushing.

“Yes, but he retired. Or so I heard,” Felicity said and then bit her tongue to prevent any more word-vomit from escaping.

Oliver’s smile grew to a grin. His eyes coasted over her, briefly but she did notice. She let him have his look; she did know she looked her best today. But the true test was going to be if he took her seriously or if he would just hit on her.

“Come, let’s have a seat and you can give me your pitch,” he said, gesturing to his seating area. “Can I have my assistant get you a glass of water or anything?”

“I’m fine,” Felicity replied. “But thank you.”

She took a seat on the luxurious leather sofa and set her briefcase on the coffee table before her. Opening it, she took out her printouts and held them in her lap while Oliver sat in a chair facing her.

Then, she gave him the pitch to end all pitches.

_Seven months ago…_

Oliver Queen not only liked her pitch, he gave Smoak Tech their biggest investment to date and was on board to partner with them on some high profile projects that would surely catapult Smoak Tech into prominence in the business world. In truth, Felicity owed a lot of Smoak Tech’s resulting success over the next three and a half years to Oliver Queen.

Not that she would _ever_ admit that. Especially to his face. His beautiful, handsome face.

Nope, not going there. _Never_ going there.

Felicity and Oliver had a strange relationship. It was professional first and foremost… but there was a competitive nature to it as well. Every time they met, they traded barbs and witty quips. Oliver seemed to delight in each encounter while Felicity struggled to suppress her irritation. A few times she was able to gain the upper hand, however, and seeing the irritation flash in _his_ eyes for a change was always a cause for minor celebration.

He didn’t hit on her… at least not the way she’d initially expected him to. But that’s not to say that Oliver Queen didn’t flirt with her. Sometimes, she was in a good enough mood to return the flirting. But there was always an edge to it. Wanting to catch the other off guard.

Mostly, however, they tried to one up each other professionally. Despite being partners in a great many aspects and sharing more than a few projects between their companies, there was plenty of opportunity for competition and rivalry.

Their interactions weren’t always entirely professional, however, and eventually Felicity would insult Oliver’s philandering ways (he had quite the reputation) and he would call her a cold fish. It was a dance they engaged in many, many times.

So, for the next three and a half years, they bickered. Curtis called them an “old married couple” which earned him a hard glare from Felicity on more than one occasion. She knew employees at both companies liked to joke about them. She knew the rumors that ran like wildfire through break rooms across the city. It was all just rubbish, of course.

Sure, she found Oliver attractive. She’d have to be dead not to. The man radiated charisma and sexual magnetism. While he’d never come right out and said it, Felicity knew she only had to make it clear that she wanted him and he would be thrilled to burn up the sheets together. The chemistry between them was explosive.

But Felicity was sworn off men and all romantic entanglements. Her last long relationship was back in college and was a wholly regrettable experience. She’d had a few short-term flings here and there since, but in the last few years, she found it easier to just avoid men altogether. Yes, that made things rather lonely, especially since she didn’t have time much for making new friends or indulging in a social life either. But work kept her more than busy.

To the chagrin of the board of directors, apparently. Just that day they’d brought up her relationship status during a meeting. That made the tenth time in in the last three years, but the subject was coming up more and more often these days. They believed that Felicity should be more focused the public face of Smoak Technologies. Investors feel more secure when associating with companies whose CEO is settled down with a family. Felicity thought it was a bunch of horse shit, personally, but she’d be more offended if she didn’t know that Oliver, Ray Palmer and Bruce Wayne regularly got the same pressure from their own boards. Except Ray was engaged now to his longtime girlfriend, Anna so the pot of bachelor/ette CEOs was dwindling. It was ridiculous, of course. Her marital status had nothing to do with what kind of job she did as a CEO. Such thinking was outdated and insufferable. She told the board, repeatedly, that her personal life was her business and she might never want to get married. They accepted that grudgingly, for now, but the implication was that someday this could negatively impact Smoak Tech’s bottom line. Such bullshit. And Felicity wasn’t worried one bit.

Smoak Tech was now one of the fastest growing companies in the United States. A year ago, they’d finally moved operations into a building right in the downtown corridor with nearly as many floors as the Queen Consolidated building. It was a beautiful home for her company and Felicity’s only complaint was that the windows in her CEO office looked upon the Queen Consolidated building, which was just across the street and down a little ways. Felicity imagined if she had a pair of binoculars handy, she could probably see right into Oliver’s office if she so desired.

Which she did _not_.

It was a rainy Thursday evening when Felicity was letting herself into her apartment, a bag of take out in one hand. She had a bottle of wine that would go just perfectly with this dim sum. No sooner had she gotten her door open than her cell phone began to ring in her purse.

Cursing, Felicity hustled inside, kicking the door shut behind her and rushing to the kitchen counter to set the food down so she could dig the phone out before whoever was calling could hang up.

Glancing at the screen, she saw it was her mother. Felicity bit back a groan before she answered. “Hello? Mom?”

“Hi, baby!” came her mother’s voice. “I didn’t catch you at a bad time, did I?”

“Nope,” Felicity said, latching her door and returning to the kitchen counter to get her food out of the take out bag. “Just coming in from work.”

“Oh.” Her mother sounded distinctly disappointed. “I was hoping that I’d caught you out on a date or at the very least, mid steamy makeout.”

Felicity rolled her eyes. If anyone was worse about pressuring her to find a guy than her board of directors, it was her mother. “Sorry to disappoint, mother. Hard at work taking over the tech world doesn’t leave a lot of time for dating.”

“I know and I think that’s just awful,” her mother said, the pout in her voice clear over the line. “You should take time for _you_. All that work isn’t healthy.”

Felicity rather thought that the singles dating scene in Starling wasn’t all that healthy either, but try telling her mother that. “We’ve talked about this, mom,” she said with a sigh.

“I know we have, sweetie, but I’m just worried about you. You always say how closely you work with Queen Consolidated and I just can’t believe you spend that much time with Oliver Queen and nothing has happened—”

“Mom! For the last time, Oliver and I are just friends. Not even that, really. We’re business partners.”

“But honey, he’s so handsome!”

Felicity rolled her eyes as she got a wine glass out of the cupboard. Maybe she should just drink straight from the bottle. “Yes, I’m well aware. But he’s not interested. And _I’m_ not interested. I do not need a man.”

“Of course you don’t, but wouldn’t it be _nice_ —?”

“Mom, I’ve had a long day. I’m hungry and tired and can we finish this conversation some other time?” Felicity asked, pouring a generous amount of red wine into her glass.

Her mother sighed. “Sure, Felicity. I’ll call you on the weekend. Sound good?”

“Yep, I’ll talk to you then,” she replied.

They hung up. Felicity set her phone on the counter and took a long gulp of her wine.

***

_Present Day_

Oliver reclined back in his office chair, unable to focus on the contracts his assistant had left on his desk. He was thinking about his run in with Felicity the day before in her office. He couldn’t help but smile, thinking of how she’d met him barb for barb. It was an effortless dance with them and he couldn’t say he didn’t enjoy every minute. He rather thought she enjoyed it too. Her eyes always flashed with interest whenever they went toe to toe, be it personally or professionally.

It’d been a spur of the moment decision to ask her out to drinks and Oliver should have known she’d turn him down. He was torn between regretting asking her and feeling disappointed that she’d passed on the invitation. Then he felt the old familiar irritation that he even cared in the first place.

Felicity Smoak had him tied up in knots and she’d been doing this to him since the day they met. The more he tried to remind himself to keep their relationship strictly professional, the more he found she was getting under his skin. This “marriage” of theirs had solved many superficial problems but Oliver was starting to wonder if it was wise to keep the charade going much longer. Someone was going to get hurt and he was afraid that it was going to be _him_.

Oliver sat up and refocused on the contracts, cursing under his breath for letting his mind drift to Felicity in the first place.

He’d just started getting somewhere when there was a knock at his open office door. Looking up, he saw his younger sister, Thea, standing there with a smile on her face.

“Sorry to interrupt you but Ms. Smithers said I could just come on in,” she said, gesturing back towards his EA’s desk.

“Yeah, it’s no problem,” he said, sitting back. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit, Thea?”

The younger Queen didn’t often stop by Queen Consolidated, now or ever. She’d made it clear years ago that she had no interest in the family business. She preferred to work over at Verdant with her half brother and Oliver’s best friend, Tommy Merlyn. Together, they ran the nightclub and bar and Thea had really taken to the business.

“Well… I have some news and I wanted to deliver it in person,” she said, walking into his office.

Oliver stood up and came around his desk to meet her. “What is it? You already told us you and Roy were engaged two months ago, remember?” Then, he stopped and felt the blood drain from his face. “You’re not pregnant are you?”

Thea threw back her head and laughed. She clutched at her midsection, gasping for breath between giggles. “Oh my god, Ollie, your _face_.”

“Thea…” he growled.

“No, I’m not pregnant. You don’t have to go find a shotgun to threaten Roy with or anything.”

“Well, what is it then?”

“Let’s have a seat,” Thea suggested, plopping down in one of his cushy leather chairs. He sat next to her, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his thighs.

“Is this good news or bad news? Cuz wanting to have a seat tells me it’s bad news.”

She swatted his arm playfully. “It’s not bad news. It’s about the wedding.”

“Oh? Did you finally set a date?” The last Oliver had heard, there was some back and forth between his sister and his parents about when to hold the wedding. His mother wanted to wait until June and have the wedding on the grounds of the Queen mansion, but Thea had wanted to get married a lot sooner than that since June was still five months away.

“We did.” She beamed, happiness radiating off of her. “Roy and I are getting married on an island called Motu Nui in two weeks.”

Oliver blinked, surprised. “An island? Two weeks?”

Thea nodded. “Mom finally admitted that we have the right to choose for ourselves what we want and Roy and I want to get married sooner rather than later. We’ve been dating for three years now, why would we want to wait any longer? Our only hang up was how cold it is in Starling right now. So I finally realized we could have a destination wedding on a tropical island.”

“Wow, Thea! That sounds amazing! Where is Motu Nui?”

“South Pacific… near Fiji. There’s a beautiful resort there that will handle all the guests and the wedding and the reception and it looks like something out of a _dream_.” Her dreamy expression spoke of how excited she was about this. Oliver smiled at her.

“I can’t wait to see the video,” he told her, reaching out to take her hand squeeze it.

“Video? Big brother, you are going to be right there with me. Roy wants you to be a groomsman, along with Tommy.” Thea looks a little sheepish. “That’s the other thing I came here to tell you and I probably could have found a better way to bring that up.”

“Groomsman?” Oliver echoed. A warm, pleasant feeling spread out in his chest. He liked to give Roy a hard time for dating his sister, but in all truth he liked the guy. He felt like a brother, like Tommy always had. Oliver had been secretly very pleased when Roy had finally proposed and now, knowing Roy wanted him as a groomsman, Oliver felt honored.

“Yeah, is that okay?” Thea asked, chewing her lip a little.

“Beyond okay,” Oliver said, beaming. “I’d be happy to stand up with Roy at your wedding.”

“I’m so happy to hear that,” she replied. “Roy will be too.”

“So… two weeks, you said? On an island near Fiji?” he prompted her.

“Yes! Here, I have a pamphlet,” she said, handing him a brochure. He took it, glancing at the front. It showed sparkling clear blue waters, white sand beaches, lush palm trees… a true paradise.

“This looks gorgeous, Thea. Is it a weekend wedding type of deal?” he asked.

“A weeklong wedding, actually. We’re flying all the family and wedding party out. The guests are on their own but people are already buying up their tickets. There’s going to be snorkeling and hiking and all kinds of activities. It’s going to be amazing. Not just a wedding, but an _event_.”

Oliver smiled fondly. “I’d expect nothing less for my baby sister.”

“It means a lot to have you and Felicity there,” Thea said.

He paused. “Wait… what?”

“Felicity will come with you, of course. Right?”

“But… Thea… You now that we—”

His sister waved her hand. “I know what you tell me and I also know what I see. But what’s more than that, I know that Felicity is _technically_ family. Oliver, come on. You can’t show up at a family wedding without your _wife_ there.”

Oliver knew that Thea was right. But he also felt unsure how to proceed. “How am I going to—?”

“You ask her, dummy,” Thea said with a fond smile. “Well, this might be more of a ‘tell her’ situation, but you know what I mean. You _talk_ to her.I know your relationship is a bit… unorthodox… but I know you can talk to her and I’m sure she’ll understand. I mean, if you need me to, I can talk to her—”

“I’ll try first. If I need to bring in the big guns— that’s you… I’ll let you know.”

“She’ll get it. Felicity is a smart woman and besides, she likes me.” Thea beamed.

Oliver chuckled. “She might not like you too well after I drop this bomb on her. But I’ll do it. I’ll keep you posted.”

Thea left shortly after that and Oliver rubbed a hand over his face. No, Felicity wasn’t going to like this one bit. Yes, it was true that she liked his sister quite a bit. But spending a week with him on a tropical island pretending they were a happily married couple in front of his family? Yeah, that was going to be a tough sell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past shows the pressure increasing on both Oliver and Felicity and he comes up with an idea to make things substantially easier on both of them. In the present, Oliver has to break the news about Thea's wedding to Felicity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU to everyone who is enthusiastic for this story! Your comments and retweets and reblogs mean the world to me and really help motivate me to finish up the last few chapters of this story, so keep them coming!

_Six months ago…_

“Oliver. You need to start thinking about settling down,” his mother said to him, her mouth a firm, hard line as she regarded him. In her hand, she held the day’s paper. On the front page of the entertainment section was a splashy photo of him exiting Verdant with an underwear model on his arm. The headline read: “Starling’s Most Notorious Playboy Still On The Prowl”.

“Mom,” he said, tired of this conversation already. It was only the sixth time this month that his marital status had been brought up by his mother alone. Add in QC’s nosey board members and that number tripled.

“I know you don’t like talking about this, but clearly, we need to,” she said, tossing the newspaper in his lap.

They were sitting in his penthouse apartment. She’d come over under the guise of having lunch together but instead had ambushed with this nonsense. Oliver was irritated. Wasn’t he a grown man? He was thirty two years old now, capable of running his own life and making his own decisions.

“My life is my own business,” he told her, peevish. “What I do with my personal time is up to me… no one else.”

“Clearly, that’s not the case,” she said, nodding her head at the newspaper. “It’s everyone’s business when you’re as high profile as our family is. And that’d be one thing but we have a company that bears our family name. And what you do privately reflects on our company publicly. Investors and board members have been complaining to me for years now.”

Oliver threw the newspaper down. “It’s not fair.”

“I know it’s not,” his mother agreed. “But Oliver… aren’t you tired of this sort of lifestyle by now? A different woman every weekend? No attachments?”

Oliver sighed and got up to go pace in front of the floor to ceiling windows that covered the entire back wall of his living room. They looked out on the bay, the sparkling water and the mountains beyond that. Attachments. That was the kicker, wasn’t it? He didn’t expect his mother to understand his reasons, but he did have them.

“It’s easier this way,” he said at last.

“Is this because of Laurel Lance?” she asked.

The name hit him like a physical blow. “What?” he said. “Why would you bring her up?”

“You and she were such a good couple for so long,” Moira said. “You were inseparable in high school. We really expected that the two of you would get married one day. Then something happened and you never told me what it was. But she left town and you began this serial dating lifestyle.”

His mother was half right. But she didn’t know the whole story. Sure, he and Laurel had been together back in high school but he wouldn’t have said they were a ‘good’ couple. She was the captain of the cheerleading squad, and he was the star quarterback for the football team. They, as a couple, were a foregone conclusion.

Like any other high school couple, there was a lot of drama and breaking up and getting back together. Unfortunately, that was behavior that carried on into college for them, with Oliver frequently cheating on Laurel. At the time, he thought it was just because he was looking for the next thrill. Getting away with cheating on Laurel was exciting the first few times. But he came to realize that he was deliberately sabotaging his relationship with Laurel. He wanted her to find out, to be outraged, to break up with him and not look back.

But she didn’t do that.

Oh, she found out. And a few times, she even broke up with him. Then, she’d always take him back just a few days later, telling him to never do it again. But he always would. After college, Laurel began to bug him about them getting an apartment together. Oliver put her off as long as he could, offering all kinds of excuses. Moving in together was the last thing he wanted to do. It was a huge step in a relationship, it was a commitment. He couldn’t see himself giving up his freedom and bachelor lifestyle yet and knew that if he and Laurel took that step, that’s exactly what he’d be doing. Or it’s what he’d promise he would do but how long would that hold? He wasn’t any good at being in a relationship and, inevitably, he’d break Laurel’s heart. Again, and again.

That’s when Oliver learned that Laurel had a plan for their future together. Her little sister, Sara, told him one night when they both got drunk at a club. Laurel wanted them to move in together, then they’d get engaged about a year later. Then… she would become Laurel Queen. Oliver was so repelled by the notion, that he kept drinking with Sara that night until the two of them ended up in bed together back at her place. Her place which she happened to share with Laurel.

Laurel found out pretty much right away, of course, and subconsciously Oliver had known she would. After all, they hadn’t even made it to Sara’s bedroom and had ended up right there on the sofa. Right where Laurel could walk in and see them going at it like rabbits. It made him sick to think back on it and know the horrible part he played. Today, he wouldn’t have the stomach for it. But he also wasn’t sure he would have had the guts to speak up and say what he needed to without some sort of catalyst either. So how much had he really grown in the intervening years? By his reckoning, not a lot.

Sleeping with Laurel’s sister sure did the trick though, at least at first. Laurel was furious and absolutely through with him. It’d been three months before she’d shown up at the Queen mansion, wanting to talk to him. Talking about feelings had never been Oliver’s strong suit but he knew he was going to have to have this out because Laurel was ready to take him back _again_. So he told her that he didn’t see them ever getting married. He told her that’s not what he wanted from his life. He wasn’t the “marrying type” and didn’t think he ever would be. After all, his parents weren’t the healthiest example of holy matrimony. Right then, his whole family was dealing with the fallout from his mother’s affair with Malcolm Merlyn coming to light. Thea was his half sister and his parents’ marriage was hanging on by a thread.

Added to all of that, Oliver liked being single. He liked going to the club, picking up beautiful women, seducing them but being able to walk away the next day, no strings attached. Now that he was taking on more responsibility at Queen Consolidated, he didn’t have time for more and he didn’t _want_ to have time for more.

Finally, after what felt like hours of pouring his heart out this way, Laurel finally got the message. He wasn’t going to change. She deserved better than waiting around for him to be ready. She deserved better than being cheated on constantly.

A month later, she moved to San Francisco and he hadn’t seen her again since.

Everyone, Tommy included, expected him to be heartbroken after Laurel left but… he wasn’t. He felt _relieved_. He didn’t like hurting Laurel. And he’d been hurting himself too. With her gone, he was finally free to do what he liked without hurting anyone and it was fantastic. He was quite literally living the dream. Or he had been. Times change, and all of that.

Oliver was getting older and thirty two wasn’t a great age to be hitting the club circuit every weekend. He certainly wasn’t quite as active as he had been ten years before, but anytime he breathed, the local media thought it was newsworthy. The fact remained, however, that Oliver had no intention of finding someone to fall in love with and get married to. All else aside, he would make a shitty husband. He wasn’t a good person when he was in a relationship.

“Mom, what happened with Laurel and I was complicated. I wasn’t right for her and she wasn’t right for me. I’m not waiting for her to come back or anything like that, I promise you.”

His mom looked disappointed. “That’s too bad. I always liked her.”

“I know you did. But I couldn’t see myself marrying her. Or anyone else. You wouldn’t want me to get married just because it was expected of me, would you?”

“No, of course not. And I’m not suggesting that you do. I just… oh, Oliver. I want the world for you. I want you to find love and have a family. Yes, there’s a lot of pressure as the CEO of Queen Consolidated to present a stable public image, but privately, I just want the best for you.”

“I know that, mom.” Oliver sighed and rubbed a hand over the back of his head. “I can’t blame you for that. Just… let me worry about my personal life, okay? Let me deal with this in my own way, in my own time.”

She looked at him for a long moment and he could see she wanted to say something else. But she didn’t and instead relented, nodding her head. “Okay, Oliver. I can. Just… try to stay out of the papers so much? It really gets the board all worked up whenever you’re on the front page.”

“Believe me, I know that very well.”

The rest of their lunch went smoothly but Oliver was admittedly distracted by all that his mother had said. The board had been on his back lately and he knew that Felicity was having the same problem. As irritated as he was with the problem for himself, he was also annoyed that she had to deal with it too.

As his mother left a couple hours later, Oliver got to wondering if there was a way that they could both solve this problem for themselves. As he paced in front of his windows, he got an idea. A really _crazy_ idea.

***

Felicity was changing her nail polish color, something she did every Saturday afternoon, when there was a knock at the door of her apartment. It took her a moment because no one ever knocked on her door on the weekend. Her best friend, Dinah (who usually just let herself in with the key she had), was out of town visiting family so it couldn’t be her. Not even Curtis, generally speaking. Brow furrowing, she tightened the cap on the bottle of nail polish and got up off the sofa.

“Coming…” she called out, blowing on her nails as she approached the door. Maybe it was a salesman. Sure, the building had a doorman who weeded out solicitors but one or two had been known to slip through in the past.

She opened her door and froze, hand in front of her lips, mid-blow.

Oliver Queen stood on her doorstep.

Felicity became painfully aware that she wore only a tank top and a dinky pair of sleep shorts. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, her feet were bare, and she wasn’t wearing a bit of makeup. Oliver’s gaze quickly traveled over her before landing on her face and he smiled genially, as though there was nothing at all wrong with her appearance.

Of course, he looked like he stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine with his dark washed denim jeans and white t-shirt. Damn him anyhow. Even his hair looked perfectly tousled and his scruff perfectly groomed. While she looked like something he scraped off the bottom of his shoe. She could feel her cheeks redden.

“Oliver! Wh—what are you doing here?”

“Can we talk?” he asked.

Felicity blinked but stepped aside to welcome him in. “Sure. What’s this about? Did something happen with the deal?”

It’d been a month since they finalized the paperwork on the deal with Wayne Tech, QC and Smoak Tech and things had been going smoothly but Felicity worried they had gone _too_ smoothly. She couldn’t help but wait for the other shoe to drop, for Wayne to back out… _something_.

“No, not the deal,” he said quickly as she closed the door. “It’s personal. Well it’s also business. It’s both.”

“Okay, now I’m intrigued,” she replied, gesturing him towards her living room. Oliver had been to her place a few times before to work on paperwork so he was somewhat familiar with her apartment. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“You have a beer?” he asked.

“I do.” She moved to the kitchen to get one of the bottles out of the fridge.

“You might want to get something for yourself too,” he called to her.

It was on the tip of her tongue to protest… it wasn’t even 5 o’clock yet. But he was having a drink and she still didn’t know why he was here and the nervous look on his face made her reconsider. She pulled down a wine glass and got the bottle of rosé she’d opened last night out of the fridge along with the bottle of beer for Oliver. She opened his beer and poured her wine and then walked back into the living area.

Oliver sat on her sofa, one leg crossed over the other. She handed him the beer and then settled herself on the sofa next to him, leaving nearly a full cushion’s width between them. He thanked her for the beer and took a long drink from it. Felicity did the same with her wine and then looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to speak.

“I thought of a solution to our problems,” he said at last.

“Which one?” she asked, smirking a little. “You’ll have to be more specific. I have many many problems. But if it’s not about the deal, I don’t think you and I have a problem together. Do we?”

“What has your board been hounding you about for several years now?” he asked her. “What does your mother bring up every time you talk to her on the phone.”

Felicity felt her cheeks heat again and she took another drink of her wine.

“Felicity…” he prompted her.

“Okay, the Great Marital Status Debate. We both get the raw end of that whole thing. But… how can there be a solution?” she asked. “I don’t have time to date someone long enough for marriage to be on the table and we both know that you aren’t remotely interested in being faithful to one woman.”

Oliver made a face before taking a long gulp of his beer. Then, he sighed and set the bottle aside. “That’s not exactly the issue but… yes.”

She eyed him curiously. “So what is your solution?”

He shifted forward on the sofa. “I thought that you and I could… marry each other.”

Felicity choked on the mouthful of wine she’d just drank. Oliver took her glass from her, setting it aside with his beer bottle. He patted her on the back. “You okay?” he asked, a wrinkle between his eyebrows as he watched her.

“I’m sorry, did you… did you just say _marry each other_??” she sputtered, still gasping for breath.

Oliver nodded firmly. “Yes. Hear me out. We both have our reasons for not wanting to pursue serious relationships with anyone right now, right?”

“Yes, that’s very true.” But… _marry Oliver_?? She couldn’t even wrap her mind around the idea. It was completely unthinkable.

“We would not need a serious relationship.”

“Excuse me? But you just… what? I missed a step somewhere…”

“We could treat this as a business agreement, just like everything else we deal with together. And you have to admit, we do work well together,” he pointed out.

“Okay, that _is_ true… but, Oliver, getting married? That’s a lot more than some collaborative project or merger or anything like that!”

“Is it, though? How different is it really? The goal is to present a stable family image for the benefit of our companies, right? We can do that.”

“Can we? You wouldn’t be able to date like you do now,” Felicity pointed out. “One tabloid shot of you with a b-list reality star and the lid would be blown off the whole thing.”

“I could be discrete with any relationships,” he promised.

She gave him a look.

“I could!” he insisted. “Listen, like I said, we would handle this like a business relationship. We could even draw up a contract for us both to sign. I’m serious, Felicity, I think this could really work.”

“But… marriage? Oliver, I don’t know. The public, our families, our companies and board of directors would all have to believe we’re in a relationship. That we’re in _love_. Could we really sell that to people?”

“I think so,” he said confidently. “How many times have we ended up in the papers after a gala or something with all kinds of speculation about what kind of relationship we really have? My mother has even asked me about you on multiple occasions.”

“Okay, good point. And mine has too.” Felicity sighed. “I don’t know, Oliver. That’s a huge thing to be committing to.”

“Are you saying you’d rather find someone to date in hopes of doing it the ‘right’ way?” he asked her. His knowing look, how his one eyebrow arched up as he regarded her irritated her.

“No, I absolutely would not rather do that.”

“Then you have to admit that this would solve our issue. Our boards and our families would be appeased. The pressure would be off of us and we could continue living our lives as we please.”

Felicity didn’t think it would be that simple but she couldn’t come up with exactly _how_ at the moment. Biting her lip, she looked at him. “Can I think about it?”

“Of course!” he said, smiling. “Take all the time you need… within reason of course. There’s no rush and I imagine there’s a lot to talk about and consider.”

“And contracts to draw up,” she reminded him.

His smile only grew bigger. “Yes, and that too.”

“Would we have to live together? Because I really don’t want to have to move out of her, this apartment is fantastic.”

Oliver glanced around a little skeptically. “No, I don’t think so. I mean, we can tell the press that we moved into my penthouse—”

“Why yours?!”

“—and just live in our own spaces. And mine because it’s larger, in a better building and it’s more believable that I would actually live there.”

“Oliver… can we really do this? What if you or I… I don’t know… what if it stops being about business at some point?” she asked. It was the first question that popped to her mind. And it was a good question, she thought.

“Well, we can cover that in the contract,” he said. “But I have no intention of falling in love with you, Felicity Smoak. Do you see yourself falling in love with me?”

“Absolutely not,” she said, perhaps a little too quickly. She reached for her wine glass to cover the heat she could feel rushing to her cheeks.

Oliver picked up his beer bottle and held it out for her to tap her glass against. She did so, a little hesitantly. “To the beginning of a beautiful relationship… hopefully.”

“Yes. To… _that_.”

As Felicity took a deep drink of her wine, she couldn’t escape the feeling that this was a supremely terrible idea even if she couldn’t quite put her finger on exactly _why_.

***

_Present Day_

Felicity was in the living room, curled up on the sofa with a blanket over her legs and a fire roaring in the fireplace. She was reading a book and enjoying the first night off she’d had all week long. A cup of tea sat in a saucer on the table next to her and everything was very quiet and calm and warm and cozy.

 _Perfect_.

Of course, that was the very moment that the door of the apartment opened, letting her know that she was no longer alone.

“Dang it,” she muttered under her breath, setting her book down as Oliver entered the room. She watched him set his briefcase down on one of the chairs and then plop down next to her, causing her blanket to get tugged off of her feet.

“Do you have any plans two weeks from now?” he asked her.

“Hello, Felicity, how are you? Did you have a nice day? What are you reading? It’s so nice to see you, especially since I wasn’t home last night. At all,” she said. He peered at her.

“Is that supposed to be me?” he asked.

“It would be if you weren’t you, I suppose,” she said, flashing him a smile. Truth be told, he never greeted her like that but that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy needling him like that. “But I was curious where you were last night.Hot date?” An uneasy feeling tripped down her spine even as she teased him. Did she really want the answer to that?

His cheeks colored, the tips of his ears turning red. “No, it was actually just a late night at the office. I slept on my sofa.”

“Oh. What’s the problem? Is it something I can help with?” she asked, downshifting.

“No, it was just some contract negotiation that I had to be present for but that didn’t really involve me much at all. Pretty boring, actually,” he explained.

“Okay. Well, to answer your previous question, no I don’t have any plans for two weeks for now. Why are you asking?”

“Thea came by the office earlier to talk to me.”

“Oh?” Felicity perked up. She adored Thea. Oliver’s younger sister often came by to visit and they’d become friends. Lately, she’s been bringing her fiancé, Roy Harper, with her and Felicity had become friends with him as well. “How are things with her? Have they agreed on a wedding date yet?”

“Yes,” he said, biting his lip. “And that’s what I need to talk to you about.”

“Her wedding is in _two weeks_?” That was pretty quick, but then, that’s what Thea had wanted…

“Yes, and it’s going to be on an island called Motu Nui. Near Fiji.”

“An island?? Wow! Good for her!”

“And I need to be there because Roy has asked me to be a groomsman,” Oliver explained.

“Okay, now maybe I’m a little jealous. You get to spend a weekend on a tropical island. Then again, you’ve been working awfully hard lately, a vacation might be good for you. I know you haven’t been sleeping well—”

“It’s a week, actually. And… you have to come with me.”

Felicity blinked. “Wait… what?”

“It’s a family event and _my wife_ is expected to attend.”

“There wasn’t anything about this in the contract,” she told him. “It’s not that a week on an island wouldn’t be great, don’t get me wrong.But… that’s a _week_ , Oliver. Where we’ll have to pretend to be this couple and it won’t be like the weekly lunch date thing we do now, this will be constant scrutiny. With your _family_.”

“I know this, Felicity. But there isn’t really any way around this. I _have_ to go and you have to come with me. Thea expects you to be there. And more than that, she _wants_ you there.”

The guilt trip was effective. “Well, frack,” she mumbled. “Can we do this? Can we pretend like a happily married couple for a whole week?”

“We’ve managed for six months,” he reminded her. “And everyone there will be distracted by their own vacations and the wedding. They won’t be watching us.”

“I don’t know, Oliver… We’ve tried to avoid your family specifically. You know your mother freaks me out. I swear, she suspects something.”

“A week in the sun, all that sand and endless mai tais… It’ll be fun. It’ll be _relaxing_. You say that I need a vacation, that you noticed I’m not sleeping well… well, the same goes for you. How else would you know I’m not sleeping?”

Damn, he did make a point. “This goes a bit beyond a business arrangement, Oliver…”

“It does but… Here. Look at this. Thea gave me this brochure to show you.”

Oliver handed her a glossy pamphlet that was filled with pictures and amazing descriptions and lists of amazing activities. There were photos of the accomodations, of huge beds and hot tubs and rainfall showers. It looks absolutely incredible.

“Wow,” she breathed.

“I need you to do this with me, Felicity. Please?”

The worst part of all this was how badly she wanted to do it. She wanted to go to a tropical island with Oliver for a week. She wanted to lay out on the beach with him, showing off her bikini body and sipping fruity drinks and splashing in the clear blue ocean with him. She wanted to see him in his swim trunks… she’d spotted him a couple times in just sweatpants and one memorable time just a towel after a shower and the image of his upper body, rock hard pecs, bulging biceps and rippled abs, was burned into her memory for life.

Beyond that, a week where they were out of their lives, not working, not always rushing off to the next meeting or their separate rooms or anything like that. They could just be together, eating their meals together, talking, laughing and having a good time. Then there would be the inevitable displays of affection for his family’s benefit. Holding hands, hugging… he’d have to kiss her. She’d have to kiss him back.

It was startling and awful just how much Felicity wanted all of that. But the fact that she wanted it was enough to make her realize that going on this trip was the worst idea possible for both of them. Because how on earth could she pretend she wasn’t falling for him in a setting such as that?

“Frack,” she muttered under her breath.

“I know this is a lot to ask, Felicity. And I’m sorry.” Oliver’s eyes were somber and serious on her. “But it’s… it’s Thea’s wedding. She wants us there. Roy wants me to stand up with him.”

“I know, Oliver,” she said, putting a hand on his knee. “I’ll be there. I’m just… worried. I don’t want this to strain the relationship we have. Things have been going so well and we’ve really gotten into a groove here.”

Oliver’s expression shifted. He almost looked, for a half a moment there, regretful. But then smiled and his features smoothed out. “I appreciate it, Felicity. And Thea will too. We’ll have fun, you’ll see. Just think of all that sun and sand.”

Since images of sun and sand also brought images of Oliver’s toned and tanned physique, she wasn’t so sure that focusing on thoughts of that was going to help much. But she smiled back at him, hoping to reassure him.

“We can do this,” she said with bravado she didn’t have. “We’ve faked galas and lunches before… how hard can this be?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More background of Oliver and Felicity's unconventional relationship is revealed and in the present, the looming reality of a week on an island together has both of them rattled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks! So uh... I have a nasty cold. That, combined with the epic distraction that Olympic Ice Dancing provided over the last week means there's a bunch of comments on the last chapter that I never replied to. Oops? I'm sorry but I promise I read every one and I treasure each and every one. Thank you guys for reading this story, for taking a chance and for letting me know what you think. You have no idea how much that matters to me. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this next installment!

_Six months ago…_

Felicity paced in front of City Hall, her heels clicking on the pavement. The sun was a fierce ball of fire in the sky and she felt the sweat beading on the back of her neck, underneath her hair. She should have put it up in a ponytail like she did most days. But she’d foolishly thought she’d try to make herself look a little special on this day.

It was five after noon and Oliver had said he’d meet her at noon sharp. It wasn’t unlike him to be a little late thought, but Felicity was still irritated.

Oliver had come to her apartment the week before with his crazy idea for how to get their families and board members off of their backs. She’d taken that night and the next day to think about it but as she stared down the barrel of returning to work at Smoak Tech on Monday, she knew his solution was really the best one available to them.

So she’d told him, via the phone on Sunday night, that she’d do it. And they spent about an hour on the phone discussing this “contract”. Felicity took notes and offered to draw it up. They made plans to meet at City Hall on Tuesday at noon to “seal the deal”. Felicity had the contract in her purse for Oliver to review and they’d both sign it before signing the marriage certificate. Logically, this all made sense.

But Felicity was discovering that actually _doing_ this was another matter altogether. Her nerves were acting up and Oliver running a bit late wasn’t helping.

She stopped pacing and sat on one of the benches that ran along the front sidewalk. She pulled the contract out of her purse and read through it. There’d been a few iterations of the contract already but she and Oliver had sent it back and forth a few times until they both agreed on all the major bullet points.

 

  * Dating other people: Each party has permission to date outside the marriage, however all efforts will be taken to keep the encounters discrete and out of the public eye, including media
  * Affection: No shows of affection are expected from either party in private. In public, displays may be limited to hugs and hand holding as is determined appropriate to sell the union to others. Anything else is up to the discretion of both parties.
  * Living arrangements: Each party may keep their original residences and there is no need to co-habitate at this point in time.
  * Prenuptial agreement: There will be a prenuptial agreement drawn up wherein it is agreed that neither party has any claim on the others holdings or business interests.
  * Disclosure: Each party shall keep the nature of this marriage in confidence.
  * Public appearances: Combined appearances might be required as each party is invited to galas, functions, company parties and business dinners.
  * Falling in love: Each party agrees that a romantic relationship is discouraged and any change in feelings towards one another needs to be discussed and the terms of the marriage revisited immediately.
  * Dissolution: This contract will be reevaluated, probably dissolved, by both parties in five years time or sooner if either party has cause to wish to dissolve the marriage or finds another person to wed.



 

All of that seemed reasonable and Felicity felt her nerves calm as she read through it.Well, until she got to the last bullet point. She knew she was attracted to Oliver, but falling in love? That was probably overstating things. Chances were, it would never come to that. Felicity wasn’t too concerned; given her past with men, she had no interest in falling for Oliver or anyone else.

The prenup is something that Oliver had taken care of as soon as she’d contacted him that she wanted to go ahead with the marriage. He’d contacted his personal attorney and had the papers drawn up. It was pretty cut and dry; neither of them had any interest in each other’s money or possessions and both of them wanted to make sure to protect their companies.

Pulling a pen from her purse, she added her signature. Felicity felt much better now… only the irritation at Oliver being late remained. She checked her watch. It was quarter after noon. She was about to take out her phone and call him up when she noticed him jogging down the sidewalk towards where she sat. His suit coat flapped in the breeze and his expression intent as he approached.

“You’re late,” she said, getting to her feet. She handed Oliver the contract and the pen.

He took the paper and pen, glancing at the contract before signing it and then refocusing on her. “Sorry. I got a call just as I was leaving and I had to take it.”

“Whatever, let’s get this over with.” She turned to talk up the steps towards the front doors and Oliver followed along after her.

“You look nice,” Oliver murmured as he caught up to her at the top of the steps and grabbed the door, holding it open for her.

Felicity felt her cheeks warm in spite of herself. She smoothed her hands on the skirt of her cream colored dress. She wore a black belt with it and her cream strappy high heeled sandals with it. It was a nice, elegant outfit and Felicity felt it was appropriate for the occasion. “Thank you,” she replied softly.

They’d picked up the marriage license the previous week so there was no additional lines to stand in. Since they had an appointment with the justice of the peace (and given Oliver’s near-celebrity status in Starling), they were ushered right into the chambers to be married. A couple of city workers filled in as their witnesses and there was no fanfare or music or flowers or anything.

They stood in front of the justice of the peace and he read out his scripted lines and Oliver and Felicity held each other’s hands and gave the expected responses. It wasn’t terribly romantic and Felicity found she felt a little niggling feeling of disappointment as the justice declared them husband and wife. They exchanged rings, simple platinum bands Oliver had picked up over the weekend.

They didn’t even kiss at the conclusion of the “ceremony”.

But Oliver did hold her hand as they walked out of the chambers. The couple that came in after them looked giddy and very young and Felicity looked after them for a brief moment, a little wistful. She wondered if this wasn’t a huge mistake. Should she have held out, waited to get married to someone she was head over heels in love with? That was also in love with her?

She knew the chances of that were slim and reminded herself that she didn’t even want to go that route anyhow. Her company was her focus. That was for the best, that was safe and predictable and rewarding.

They stood on the steps outside and there was an awkward silence. Oliver was her _husband_ now, but she felt more awkward there with him than she ever had at any point in their acquaintance. What did they do now? She had to get back to work soon and… then what? Did they celebrate? Just go on about their business?

Oliver seemed to be feeling a similar struggle. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers and shuffled his feet. “Uh… maybe we could go grab some lunch?” he suggested.

Felicity panicked. If she was feeling this awkward now, how much worse would sitting across from him at lunch be? She might blurt something truly humiliating, something she couldn’t take back. “I, uh, need to get back to the office,” she said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder in the vague direction of the Smoak Tech building.

“Oh. Okay, yeah… that’s— Yeah. I understand that. Maybe some other time,” he said, fumbling a little.

Felicity felt bad for her immediate rejection and before she could bite back the words… “Maybe we could do dinner tonight?”

“I can’t,” he said, looking genuinely regretful. “I, uh, have a date.”

Felicity could feel the blood draining from her face. A date. Of course. Because that was part of the reason he wanted to do this, and do this this way, right? So he could continue his single lifestyle without the scrutiny. Her stomach churned but she forced her expression to remain bland. “Just remember to keep it discrete. I’m having my assistant send out the announcement about our wedding this afternoon so it’ll likely be on the evening news tonight. If you’re out in public, that could blow the whole thing.”

He shrugged a little. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep it quiet. Won’t be my first time sneaking around.”

Having read the stories about his misspent youth, Felicity knew how true that was. Still, it didn’t make her stomach settle any to think about it. “Fine. Whatever. I guess I’ll see you when I see you then,” she said turning to walk away.

Oliver grabbed her arm, stopping her. She turned to face him and he dropped his hand.“Hey. I just wanted to say…” He trailed off, looking conflicted. “Thanks for doing this.”

Somehow, that small thank you irritated her even more than him saying he was going on a date that night. She bit her lips. “You’re welcome,” she managed after a moment. “But it helps me too, remember?”

“Yeah.” Oliver stuck out his hand for her to shake and she looked at it for a moment before acquiescing. His fingers were warm and firm on hers. “Thanks, though. I know this is a lot.”

Felicity shrugged, retracting her hand. “It’s whatever, Oliver. Doesn’t have to be a big deal if we don’t make it one, right?”

“Right,” he murmured. She turned and walked away before he could say anything else. She wasn’t sure she could handle seeing that strange, conflicted look in his eyes for another second. Ignoring the strange feeling in her chest, she hailed a cab and headed back to her office.

***

_Present Day_

“A one piece, Felicity? Really?” Felicity’s friend Dinah glanced scornfully at the bathing suit Felicity had just placed into her suitcase.

She paused. “What? It’s a very practical suit and it fits me well,”

Dinah gave her a look. “It’s a tropical island and you’re going to be there with the man you’re secretly in love with who is also your husband and if that isn’t the weirdest sentence I’ve ever uttered then I don’t know what is.”

Felicity made a face. “I am not in love with him.”

“Yeah, okay. Try selling that to someone who doesn’t know you as well as I do,” Dinah said, plucking the black tank suit out of her suitcase and tossing it aside. “I know you have a bikini somewhere, let’s see it.”

Dinah had been Felicity’s first friend when she first moved to Starling from Boston after graduating MIT. Dinah had been a fresh graduate herself, from the police academy. They’d met at the grocery store when Felicity gave the other woman some advice on what wine to pair with a recent heartbreak. They’d ended up sharing the wine (and a half gallon of ice cream) and had been friends ever since.

Naturally, as her best friend, Dinah knew all about the nature of Felicity’s marriage to Oliver Queen. Contract or no, there was no keeping the truth from her and Felicity refused to feel guilty about that. Besides, she knew Oliver had told Tommy, his best friend, so fair was fair.

“How’s this?” Felicity asked, holding up a bikini she’d purchased in the after-summer sales that fall but hadn’t had a chance to wear yet. It was black and white tiny and left very little the imagination. Which is why Dinah grinned broadly and nodded.

“Yep, that’s the one. Oh! And don’t forget that one sundress you have too. The white one with the crochet edging and panel around the waist.”

“That one is way too short.”

“Exactly. Which is why you need to bring it.”

“Ugh, I see what you’re doing,” Felicity grumbled as she tossed the bikini in the suitcase and headed for the closet to find the dress Dinah was talking about.

“Listen. You know I had to push you past where you’re ready, but Felicity, I’ve been watching this dance for ages now. And _not_ just the six months this ‘marriage’ has been a thing. Since you two have known each other there’s always been sparks there. I just… want to see you do something about it for a change. That’s all.”

“This trip isn’t about me or Oliver or both of us. It’s about Thea and her wedding and Roy and Oliver’s family. That’s why I’m going. That’s the _only_ reason.”

“Oh, I absolutely believe that,” Dinah said. “I believe it’s what you and Oliver are telling yourselves is the reason, at least.”

“Dinah…”

Her friend sat on the edge of her bed and gave her one of her patented ‘no bullshit’ looks. “Felicity, do you honestly think you can go on this trip, a week on an island with Oliver Queen, and still keep things platonic between the two of you?”

“I mean… yeah. Why not?” Felicity said, hating how weak her voice sounded.

Dinah leaned forward and grabbed the brochure for the resort. She glanced at it and then turned it around so Felicity could see the photo of the couple in each other’s arms, standing in the surf, the sun setting behind them as palm trees waved in the breeze.

“In this setting?” she asked, pointing at the couple. “With all the booze flowing and the sun shining and all that… _skin_ showing?”

Felicity rolled her shoulders uneasily and snatched the brochure away from Dinah. “I can do it. I’m a strong, independent woman.”

“I’m not saying you’re not,” her friend said, her voice gentling. “But… and I’m not saying this because I know from experience or anything but… his abs have to be outrageous.”

“I’ve seen them and they are.”

“Wait, you _have_??” Dinah’s eyes grew wide as saucers.

“Ye— I mean… we share an apartment, Di. It’s a statistical certainty that I would have seen him shirtless eventually,” Felicity told her, hoping to play it off.

“Yeah, but you’ve only been living here for like three months, right?”

“Well, he’s shirtless a lot,” Felicity muttered. She held up the sundress she’d retrieved. “This one, right?”

“Definitely.”

“It’s practically see-through, D.”

“That’s entirely the point. Plus its meant to be worn over your bikini. Haven’t you ever been on an island vacation before?”

“Actually… no, I haven’t.”

“Seriously? Oh god, that’s so sad. Even more reason why you need this, Felicity. You work so hard… _too_ hard. And you never take a break. Never since I’ve known you have I seen you go on a vacation, not even to Vegas to visit your mom.”

“Running a company doesn’t leave a lot of time for vacations,” Felicity explained.

“I get that. But it’s been years and you have Curtis to hold the reins while you’re gone. It’s just a week,” Dinah pointed out.

“I know you’re right. I’m just… I’m nervous. I’m friends with Thea, but the rest of his family? I’ve only been around his parents at a couple of galas and brief meetings. I know his mother is super skeptical of me. How is this going to go? How can I be around them and lie and act like Oliver and I are a real married couple?”

“I don’t have those answers,” Dinah said apologetically. “But I know you can do this if you set your mind to it.”

“How do you know that, though?”

“Because I’ve seen you do it time and time again. Remember when we first met and you were still trying to get Smoak Tech off the ground? It seemed impossible. But you did it and look at where your company is today.”

It was true that Smoak Tech was her pride and joy and she was very proud of her success there. But… “That was business. This is personal and I’ve never been very good at personal.”

“You’re good with me. And with Thea. And Curtis. And even with Oliver.”

Felicity scoffed. “I’m definitely _not_ good with Oliver.”

“All those movie nights and lunches? I know that when you aren’t getting in your own way that you and Oliver click. You are such good friends to each other. And you could be more if you’d stop letting the fear control you.”

“Dinah…” Felicity said warningly.

“I know you hate when I speak truth. So let me just say this: Be open to new things. Can you do that?”

“What, like scuba diving?” she said with a smirk. Dinah grinned.

“ _All_ new things.”

“I’ll try,” she promised. “Now are you going to help me finish packing or what?”

“Okay, okay. Slave driver.”

***

_Five months ago…_

Felicity was _furious_.

They hadn’t been married even a month yet and already the contract they’d both signed was being disregarded. Her assistant had shown her the link to a local gossip account on Twitter as soon as she’d walked off the elevator that morning. Right there at the top of the feed was a picture and a Tweet with a link to a webpage that bore a story that had Felicity seeing red immediately.

Oliver was walking out of Verdant with a woman on his arm. Felicity didn’t recognize her, neither did the gossip site, but she looked exactly like Oliver’s type; tall, leggy, brunette. It could have been construed as innocent except the article showed a few more pictures, including one of Oliver helping her into his car, another of him getting behind the wheel, and then another of him leaning across the seats towards the woman, locked in a kiss.

It turned Felicity’s stomach and she’d had to look away.

All the article mentioned was that Oliver Queen was seen leaving Verdant with this nameless young woman the previous Saturday night and nearly gleeful speculation about what this could mean for his fledgling marriage to “Smoak Tech CEO and Visionary, Felicity Smoak”. The comments held even more speculation that Oliver was “back on the market”.

She felt humiliated and hurt and so damn angry she could hardly see straight. Felicity didn’t even call ahead before hurrying over to Queen Consolidated to confront Oliver directly.

When she got to the executive floor, his assistant tried to stop her but Felicity just rushed past without even saying a word. She pushed right into Oliver’s office. The man in question sat behind the desk, looking at something on his computer. He looked up, surprised, when she stormed in.

“Felicity! What’s going on?” he asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

“I’ll tell you what’s up,” she said angrily. “I told you to be discrete. You can fuck all of Starling City for all I care as long as you don’t flaunt it in a way that it’s going to end up in the news. And what do you do? Not even a month after we’re married!”

He looked confused but he also had paled. “What are you talking about? Where did you see this?”

She dropped into the chair in front of his desk and grabbed a pad of paper and a pen off of his blotter. She jotted down the address to the tweets and to the article and passed them across to him.

Felicity watched, her anger still bubbling under the surface, as he brought up the web addresses on his computer. His confusion melted away but his color faded even more as he saw the pictures and read the article.

“Felicity, I—”

“Do we or do we not have a contract?” she demanded. “We both signed it. Being discrete with other people was the _first_ item addressed! How _could_ you??”

“I didn’t know there was a photographer there,” he told her. “I swear, Felicity, I didn’t mean for this to get out.”

“Well, what you mean and what you did are two different things here. Are we taking this seriously or not?? Because if you want to just throw this contract away, maybe we should just forget the whole thing—”

Oliver held up a hand. “Now, hold on. It was just one time and this is pretty mild. I’m sure we can sweep this under the rug and I’ll be more careful in the future.”

Felicity was still irritated though and his casual dismissal of this as a problem wasn’t making her feel any more calm. “Are you going to take this contract seriously or not?”

“I am taking it seriously and while we’re on the subject, I should ask you the same question,” he fired back.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“You told Dinah the truth. I thought there was a stipulation in the contract about keeping the true nature of our relationship a secret.”

Felicity didn’t even want to ask how he knew that her best friend knew. “There is. Is this where I point out that you told _Tommy_ the very same day we were married?”

Oliver looked surprised and then abashed. “The news was reporting my marriage all over the place, I had to tell him the truth.”

“Same with Dinah.”

“As long as we both agree that we cannot tell our parents. Or anyone we’re not super close with otherwise, that we don’t trust not to leak it to the news,” he said.

“So now you’re concerned with discretion?” Felicity asked him, lifting her brows.

“I don’t know why you’re so upset about this. Those pictures weren’t even all that bad. Unless…”

She narrowed her eyes. “Unless what?”

“Unless you’re jealous.”

And there went her outrage again.

“Jealous? Are you kidding me right now?”

“I’m just saying, it might be hard sitting at home alone each night and then seeing that I am _not_ alone,” Oliver replied with a shrug.

“I am not alone!” she cried, indignant. The words escaped her before she could think twice about it.

Now his eyebrows went up. “You’ve had dates, then?”

She felt her cheeks heat. What was one little white lie in this situation? “Of course I have.”

“Oh.” His expression changed. He closed off from her noticeably. “Well. Apparently you’re better at keeping discrete than I am.”

Felicity felt guilty for letting him believe something that wasn’t true. But at the same time, he was getting the message that maybe he needed to keep things quieter and be more careful. “Just… try to remember. There’s a bit more scrutiny on both of us now that we’re married and with this article… that scrutiny is only going to grow. Now we’re going to be watched for signs of ‘marital distress’.”

Oliver made a face and he seemed to relax a little. “What should we do? Is there anything we can do?”

“I’m no PR expert, but I think the best way to combat bad press is with _good_ press. I think we may need to make ourselves and our relationship more of a public presence.”

“How? Going out together? Dinner and such?” he asked.

“Yeah… that might help. Maybe just make sure we go out to lunch or dinner at least once a week?” she suggested.

“That’s absolutely doable,” he said, relaxing even more. “Could even be fun. We’ve shared meals before and it’s always been nice.”

Felicity agreed. “Okay, anything else?”

“Hmmm…” He was thoughtful. “Maybe gala events, charity balls, company parties and the like?”

“That’s a good idea,” Felicity replied. “High profile and attending together would definitely be noticed.”

“Great.” He smiled at her. “Looks like we have an agreement.”

She nodded and smiled back. “We do.”

Felicity left shortly thereafter, feeling much better about everything. While the photos of Oliver with the woman (and she’d never asked _who_ that woman was) still bugged her, she knew logically that it wasn’t really his fault. He just needed to be more careful. Now that he was promising to do just that and they had a plan to counteract any negative publicity, she felt much better about everything.

So far, the marriage was doing exactly what they’d hoped it would; not only were their families and their respective boards off their backs, but public perception and stock profits for each company were both way up. While that hadn’t been Felicity’s primary goal in all of this, it was a nice side benefit and she hoped it kept up.

As Felicity returned to the Smoak Tech building, she was startled to realize she was looking forward to her first lunch or dinner date with her “husband”. He was right… they did get along very well when they weren’t trying so hard. Hanging out socially could actually be _fun_. Imagine that… fun with her husband!

***

_Present Day_

Oliver pulled his hard-sided rollaway carry-on suitcase through the Starling airport. Security had been a piece of cake, thankfully, and now all he needed was to find his gate and, if he was lucky, a shop to buy a drink and a snack at while he waited for Felicity.

He felt excited about this trip. At first, he’d tried to convince himself that he was concerned, mostly about Felicity’s reaction to having to accompany him. But he was looking forward to a week on the beach. Even more than that, he was excited to spend that week with Felicity. Tommy had teased him over the last couple of weeks, about how this was Oliver’s big chance to show Felicity he had feelings for her. He’d refused to admit it, of course. His feelings for Felicity were pretty complicated as it was and the last thing he wanted to do was talk it over with Tommy, the eternal bachelor.

Felicity had charmed him from the very first meeting. He’d _liked_ her. She was smart and witty and bright. Talking to her, being around her… it always made him happier. She was also very pretty, something else he’d noticed the moment he met her. Oliver’s taste had always veered towards svelte brunettes but there was something about this petite blonde that caught his eye. She had amazing legs and her ass… well, Oliver had to catch himself more than a few times to keep from getting caught staring. It wasn’t easy when she was wearing a tight skirt or dress or even just a pair of jeans. Okay, he could admit that Felicity’s ass captivated him pretty much no matter what she was wearing.

He’d be seeing that ass in a bathing suit very soon and that notion had his palms sweating.

So what were his feelings for his wife, exactly? Oliver tried not to think too much about it, to be honest. Because the few times those thoughts had take over, it’d led to spiraling about the hopelessness of it all. It was clear that Felicity, while possibly considering him a friend, certainly held no more affection than that. Shoot, most of the time she seemed frustrated with him, as though he was a cross she had to bear.

Oliver had to remember that he wasn’t any good in relationships. He became the most terrible version of himself when he was in love with someone so as much as he liked Felicity, the best thing he could do for her was not indulge any feelings he might have. He could _not_ fall in love with her.

He would _ruin_ her.

Felicity deserved better than that, much as the thought of her with other guys twisted his stomach into knots. It helped that she seemed to agree. Maybe she’d find someone on this vacation.

No, that was an _awful_ thought. No more thoughts like that.

Oliver approached the gate, double checking with his boarding pass that he had the right one. He was headed for a seat near the large windows facing the tarmac when he saw Felicity already sitting there.

She had her hair in her usual pony tail and wore casual jeans and a blouse. Her jacket was folded over the top of her carry-on suitcase and she was reading something on her phone. Her lips were pursed and Oliver took a moment to admire her before she noticed him there and smiled up at him.

“I beat you,” she said smugly.

“I see that. I didn’t even hear you leave the apartment.”

Felicity shrugged. “I left a little early so I could stop and get some coffee on the way.”

Oliver took the seat next to her and pointed at her jacket. “I don’t think you’re gonna need that on Motu Nui.”

“Yeah, I know. I don’t know what to do with it but I had to wear it when I left the apartment. It’s only 45 degrees out there!” She eyed his short sleeves. “Are you telling me you went outside like that?”

“It’s not that cold, Felicity,” he told her.

“For _you_. You’re like a furnace.”

“So how long is this flight?” he asked. “The time zones and everything were kind of confusing.”

“About thirteen hours or so.”

Oliver gaped at her. “Are you kidding me?? I thought this was near Hawaii.”

“It’s a bit further west than that. And Hawaii is over six hours,” she told him. She tapped at her phone and then held it up for him to see a map of the Pacific. Hawaii and Fiji were marked.

“What are we going to do for all that time?” he wondered. There went his plans of finishing out the day by relaxing on the beach.

“I’ve never been on a plane for that long,” she said. “But I think there’s movies to watch in-flight and we’ll have a meal and… we can sleep?”

Oliver sighed. He’d booked their plane tickets and knew they’d be sitting next to each other. Next to Felicity for more than thirteen hours? That was an exquisite brand of torture if he’d ever heard it. Then again, so long as he could keep his mind off her lips and legs and… He swallowed. Well, spending that time with Felicity might actually make the trip easier to bear. He just had to get his head on straight first.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a long trip to Motu Nui for Oliver and Felicity... we also get more of a glimpse of the first few months after their "wedding".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another week, another update! I want to thank everyone who took the time to leave a comment on last week's chapter. I got around to answering all of them (go me!) and I want you to know, I treasure each and every one. I absolutely love hearing if what I've written has struck you in any way. 
> 
> I updated the tags on the fic... not necessarily for this chapter, but the fic as a whole. 
> 
> I'm still finishing up the last few chapters and I discovered something a few days ago: chapter 12 is a BEAST. So I split it into two which means there are now 16 chapters total instead of 15. Wee! 
> 
> Happy Arrow-is-finally-back week (I miss the Olympics tho... lol!) and enjoy the chapter!

“First class? We’re in _first class_?” Felicity squeaked as they boarded the plane that would be taking them, non-stop, to the airport in Fiji. From there, they’d be taking a boat to the island of Motu Nui which was relatively close by. The truth of the matter was they were staring down the barrel of a very, very long trip.

“Of course,” Oliver replied. “Haven’t you ever flown first class before? I know you take plenty of business trips.” He stuffed his carry-on in the overhead bin and then lifted hers to slide it in next to his.

“Yeah, but that was usually coach. At most, business class.”

“Window or aisle?” he asked her, a hand on her back.

“Does it even matter? Look at all this room!” she cried, gesturing. Then, she noticed the line of people behind them, waiting to get to their own seats. “Window is fine.”

She scooted in towards the window and Oliver smiled at the people behind them as he moved to the seat next to hers.

“This is amazing!” she exclaimed. “I think these seats recline all the way back! Sleeping will be a piece of cake! Oh, and we have our own little movie screens and look at all these plugs for charging our devices and the little tables and—”

Oliver laughed in spite of himself. “If I’d known this would please you this much, I would have taken you someplace via first class long before now.”

Her cheeks turned pink. “I’m sorry. It’s just so luxurious!”

“Just wait till they serve us the free drinks,” he told her with a wink.

Felicity’s eyes widened comically. “I’m _never_ going to be able to go back to flying coach now. I’m ruined.”

They got settled and the flight attendants came through, getting the cabin ready for take off. Felicity watched out the little window as the plane taxied down the runway and the sped up for take off. Her hand flew out towards him and Oliver unconsciously took it in his, squeezing her fingers. She squeezed back without taking her eyes off the sight of the jet lifting off from the pavement and bobbling into the air, headed up, up, up…

“You don’t fly much, do you?” he asked her.

“Not a whole lot,” she admitted. “I usually send Curtis when there’s out of town meetings. But even if I flew every month, that sensation of lifting off would never get old, I don’t think.”

Oliver kept watching her as she watched the plane lift into the clouds. Of course he’d known Felicity was incredible, but somehow she kept surprising him. Her innocent wonder over the plane taking off wasn’t absolutely not a put on, there was no sign of artifice with her. Not with that and not with anything else. He didn’t think he’d ever met anyone as genuine as she was.

After the plane reached cruising altitude, the flight attendants came through and took drink orders. Felicity insisted on a mimosa while Oliver asked for scotch. Then, they spent the next thirty minutes bickering about what movie to watch.

There was a disparity in their film tastes and experiences. In the few months they’d been living together, they’d had multiple movie nights and had kept the peace by switching off who got to pick that night’s movie. But there was no contingency for this experience.

“But, Oliver… the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy would so wonderfully eat up time for us,” Felicity argued.

They’d watched The Hobbit trilogy a few weeks ago and he knew she was eager to continue his “Middle Earth Education” as she called it. But he really wanted to show her The Dark Knight Rises.

“You said you saw Batman Begins already,” he said.

Felicity nodded. “Yes, when it came out in theaters, ages ago.”

“And you liked it…”

“Yes, I did. Christian Bale was very tasty in that.”

Oliver made a face but continued. “But you’ve never seen The Dark Knight Rises. And… I cannot let that stand. It was the _best_ of the Nolan-era Batman movies. Heath Ledger as the Joker! Felicity, we cannot leave this plane without watching it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. But we’re watching LOTR on the plane ride home.”

“Deal.”

Felicity had a headphone splitter that allowed them to both listen in on the movie with their own set of headphones. Before the credits had even finished rolling, she was scooting towards the divider between their seats and then leaning her head on his arm. Oliver smiled.

He half expected Felicity to doze off before the end of the movie, but instead, she was rapt until the end credits rolled.

“Wow! That was… that was amazing. The way they filmed that chase through the underground road and then the Joker’s whole diabolical scheme and _oh!_ The blowing up of the hospital? Holy crap. That was so good,” she gushed as Oliver tucked their headphones away in a storage compartment.

“I knew you’d like it,” he told her.

“I _loved_ it. Best Batman movie ever.”

The flight attendants brought out their dinners after that and Felicity gushed over the actual silverware that was given to them, making him chuckle again at her innocent delight.

They ate their meals, Oliver enjoying the seared tuna and Felicity, her rigatoni pasta. The conversation turned to what they might need to be prepared for at the resort.

“I think we’re going to have to step up our game,” Oliver warned her. “The hand holding and hugs and occasional cheek kiss has worked for the galas and other events, but this is going to be a whole ‘nother level.”

Felicity paused, her fork halfway to her mouth, her eyes wide. “What do you mean?”

“I mean we’re going to have to _really_ kiss, Felicity,” he told her. “And be touchy with each other. Arms around waists, nuzzling, cuddling, that sort of thing.”

She ate her bite and took her time chewing and swallowing. Then, she had a long drink of water before she spoke again. “I’m pretty sure this violates our contract.”

“Our contract has been pretty violated already.”

“And you’re okay with this? The kissing?”

Oliver shrugged. “I have to be, don’t I? We can’t let this slip now. We’re six months in and it’s working, isn’t it?”

“And you think your family is going to be watching us that closely?”

“Absolutely. We’ve avoided them up until now, which means they’ve built an expectation to see it.”

“Well… frack.”

“Are _you_ okay with this? I don’t want to ask you to do anything that don’t want to, Felicity,” Oliver said, watching her face. She looked unsure, her teeth pulling on her lower lip as she considered.

“I mean… acting has never been my strong suit. But we need to maintain this and if this is how we do that then… bring on the smooching.”

“We should probably also make sure we know things about each other that others might expect us to know,” he suggested.

“Like what? Favorite colors?”

“Yeah… and background. Family history. Hopes, dreams… aspirations.”

Felicity took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. Oliver followed her suit.

“Alright, I’ll start,” she said after a long moment. “I grew up in Vegas, that much you know. You also know my mother’s name is Donna. Smoak is her maiden name though. My father’s name was Noah Kuttler. He left us when I was 7 years old. My mother has worked at Caesars ever since. I got a scholarship to MIT and went to college in Boston at 16 and graduated with dual masters degrees in Computer Science and Cyber Security. I was recruited out of college into Kord Industries where I served as the head of the IT department. I worked there for four years until I’d raised enough money to start Smoak Technologies. I met you a year later.”

It was more information than he’d ever had before about who Felicity was and where she’d come from. Oliver tried not to look too astonished but knew he wasn’t succeeding. “You’re remarkable,” he told her, noticing how his praise made her blush. “My background isn’t nearly as impressive. You already know I grew up in Starling, how my parents operated Queen Consolidated, which my father had inherited from his father before I was born. I attended four colleges before finally buckling down to get a degree in business from Starling City University. I took over as CEO from my father shortly before we met.”

She nodded and smiled at him, reaching over to pat his knee. “There. Now we know about each other’s pasts. I know you have a sister, Thea. Your parents are still living, but retired. Tommy is your best friend but he may as well be a brother, you two are so close. Thea is the biological daughter of Tommy’s father, Malcolm, from an affair your mother had with him. You have an aunt, who divorced her husband, and cousins, who will all be at the wedding. You have no living grandparents.”

“That’s right. And… you? You only mentioned your mother. No siblings, I assume?”

“Nope. Just me. My mother’s mother died when I was 12 and I don’t know my father’s parents. I assume has family but I have no idea who or where they are and I’ve never looked them up.”

“Sounds lonely,” he said.

Her features shifted and she looked less bright than before. “It had it’s moments. I learned my love of computers from my father, believe it or not. He used to show me everything he knew, we’d take things apart together and put them back… he was a genius and I wanted so badly to be just like him when I grew up. After he was gone… there was a hole. My mom never understood our bond and my need to learn. We used to fight because she didn’t understand why I never cared about clothes or makeup or boyfriends… We’re still estranged a bit, I suppose.”

“I can’t recall you ever going to visit her,” Oliver said. He’d seen her speaking on the phone to her mother a few times but they always seemed to be tense conversations that Felicity would dread.

“I haven’t been back to Vegas once since I graduated from MIT. I’ve always been too busy,” she said with a shrug. “My mom came to visit me once, not long after I moved here. But she hasn’t been back since. I didn’t have much time for her while she was here. We kinda parted poorly.”

“I’m sorry,” he said and this time he was the one reaching across the partition. He took her hand and squeezed it and she smiled at him gratefully.

“You see what kind of nonsense you’ve married into?” she said, laughing a little and injecting some lightness into the conversation. “Having second thoughts now?”

“Never.”

They kept talking while they ate, sharing everything about themselves that they could think of. Oliver actually enjoyed himself. He liked learning about Felicity and he found he also liked sharing those pieces of himself. He’d skirted around his relationship history and she’d let him… he wasn’t quite ready to talk about that yet. Felicity seemed to understand that without him having to say so.

To be fair, she kept pretty quiet about her own dating history, saying that her one real serious boyfriend had been someone she’d known while at MIT and that relationship was over before she moved to Starling. Beyond the barest details, she kept pretty quiet. Oliver could understand but he had to admit he was curious. Was this boyfriend part of the reason she seemed so uninterested in dating and relationships?

Maybe they were more alike on that front than he’d anticipated.

***

_Four months ago…_

Oliver paced the lobby at the Starling Museum of Natural History, checking his watch occasionally. Felicity was late. They were supposed to arrive together, since the whole idea was for it to look like they were together, a true married couple. He’d wanted to pick her up at her apartment but she’d called earlier saying she had to work late and would have to get ready at her office and leave from there. He should have insisted on picking her up from the office. But, foolishly, Oliver had expected her to arrive on time. After all, if anyone was going to be late, it was generally him.

He was about to call her when he noticed a town car pull up outside through the windows that framed the lobby doors. The driver came around to open the back door and out stepped Felicity.

His anger was forgotten as he saw his wife in _that dress_.

It was red, redder than any other dress he’d seen so far at this stuffy charity gala. The sleeves were lace laid over nude netting, giving the illusion of red blooms crawling up her arms towards her shoulders. The bodice had a sweetheart neckline, achieved by the wrapping and gathering of the diaphanous material that crossed beneath her breasts, falling away to the front of the dress to lay in a ribbon of flowing fabric along the sleek sheath of the rest of the dress. Her hair was gathered into a sophisticated chignon, she wore contact lenses and her eye makeup was dramatic. As she climbed the steps, he could see the flashing of her sparkling stiletto heels under the hem of her dress.

By the time she reached the doors, Oliver’s mouth was bone dry.

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said, her words coming in a rush. “Curtis kept asking me questions and then I got a call from my contact at STAR Labs and…”

Oliver held up his hand. “It’s fine, I wasn’t here long.” And it was the truth. He’d only arrived himself just ten minutes before.

“I know it’s important that we show up together. I should have had you come get me at the office.”

Somehow, her voicing his thoughts took whatever was left of his anger and he relaxed, extending his arm towards her. “Shall we go in, Mrs. Queen?” he said.

“Oh god.” Her face paled. “Don’t call me that. Not when I’m going to literally be meeting your mother tonight. You look good, by the way. You sure know how to fill out a tux.”

Oliver smirked to himself. She thought he looked good. “You look better,” he replied, meaning every word. “You’re going to wow everyone in there.”

The gala was to raise money for the children’s hospital, specifically the cancer ward. Once he’d told Felicity about that, she’d been enthusiastic about attending, even if it meant coming face to face with his family, something she’d been putting off since their “wedding”. Truthfully, he’d been putting it off too… his family could be a bit _much_ and he didn’t want to feel any worse about this arrangement than she already did.

As he escorted her into the main room beyond the lobby, Oliver enjoyed the blush of color on her cheeks that appeared at his compliment. His wife was gorgeous. He’d always thought so and it wasn’t just the dress that made him think so now. It was everything about her.

His family would see that when they met her. He was sure of it.

They were greeted by several people as they entered, business associates, board members and the like. Everyone seemed happy to see them together and they got many congratulations, even though they’d been married for two months. Oliver understood, though… this was their first major public outing. They’d gone on several lunch and dinner dates over the last several weeks but this gala was like a reception of sorts, at least for those who ran in the circles of the business and monied elite in this town.

It wasn’t long before they were approached by his parents and sister. Felicity grabbed his arm, and he knew it was more of out nerves than any desire to _look_ married.

“Hello, mother… father. Hey, Thea,” Oliver greeted as his family approached. His father was dapper as usual in a tuxedo while his mother looked elegant and sophisticated in her beaded gown with her hair swept back. Thea wore a borderline scandalous dress that dipped low in the front and had a slit nearly up to her hip on the side. Oliver tried not to notice and instead locked eyes with Roy, who stood faithfully at Thea’s side. He also wore a tux, not as tailored as his or his fathers, but he still looked nice. The poor boy looked uncomfortable; he hadn’t been born into wealth and the whole scene was still very new and unfamiliar to him.

“I’d like you to meet my wife, Felicity Smoak,” he went on, his hand on Felicity’s back and subtly pushing her forward.

“It’s lovely to meet all of you, I’m so sorry it’s taken this long,” she said, extending her hand to his parents first.

Their reactions were varied. His father looked pleased and charmed and readily shook Felicity’s hand. His mother looked more hesitant, watching Felicity with a suspicious expression as she tentatively took Felicity’s hand. Thea also looked skeptical but there was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as she pushed past Felicity’s extended hand to give her a hug. Roy was bashful but shook Felicity’s hand and Oliver noticed his cheeks turned pink. Something about that made him feel proud that Felicity was his. Well, at least in the eyes of the law.

“And why is that?” Moira asked. “Why haven’t you brought Felicity by the house for dinner or to visit with us?”

Oliver exchanged a look with Felicity. They’d discussed this before and now it was time to see if his family “bought” their excuse or not.

“If you remember, mom, you and dad were in Scotland when Felicity and I got married. It was a spur of the moment thing, neither of us planned it. We’ve known each other for years and had been working closely together lately and, well, it just happened. The timing wasn’t the best, but I don’t regret it. Best decision I ever made,” Oliver said, improvising a little on the spot. But the words came easy. They felt right.

His mother pressed on. “That’s lovely, Oliver and I’m happy to hear it. But why didn’t you two come by after we were back home? That was six weeks ago!”

“Well, Felicity had a business trip and then I did,” Oliver said, going back to the script they’d agreed on. “And we’ve just been so busy. And then you guys were going on trips too, don’t forget that cruise to Alaska that you just go back from last week. Aren’t you headed to Vermont soon?”

“He’s got a point, Moira. We’ve been busy too,” Robert said. “It’s fine, son. We understand how these things go and imagine the two you wanted a bit of a honeymoon period anyhow.” He winked at Felicity and Oliver noticed her cheeks turn pink.

“Well, I hope we see more of you in the months ahead. The holidays are approaching and you should be spending more time with your family,” Moira said, her gaze moving between then two of them.

“You will,” Felicity promised.

“I hope we can spend time together,” Thea said, addressing Felicity. “Maybe lunch? Or shopping?”

“Why not both?”

His sister grinned. “I’d love that.”

Oliver felt something inside him settle. His mother was still watching them with a line between her eyebrows, but it was clear everyone else already loved Felicity. It was easy to forget, even for just a moment, that they were lying to everyone with their marriage. It was easy to pretend that all of this was real.

The group of them talked for a few minutes and his father wanted to know about Felicity’s company, something she was more than happy to brag about. Eventually, though, his mother had someone to go talk to and Thea tugged Felicity away, pleading with her to accompany her to the ladies room. That left Oliver, his father and Roy Harper standing there a little awkwardly so his father suggested they go get drinks at the bar.

Every good charity gala had a bar, after all.

“So what do you think of her, dad?” Oliver asked after they’d placed their orders. He requested his customary scotch and ordered a glass of wine for Felicity as well.

“I like her, son,” he replied. Roy nodded wordlessly and smiled at the bartender as his bottle of beer was passed over the counter towards him. “She’s not at all what I expected, to be honest.”

“What did you expect?” Oliver took the scotch that was pushed towards him and had a healthy pull, letting the amber liquid warm him. He was only going to have the one drink and he liked to make it count.

His father shrugged, swirling his own scotch around the glass. “Honestly? Someone less bright and capable, for starters. You have to admit, she’s not your usual type.”

Roy just grunted and smiled into his beer bottle, earning a glare from Oliver.

“Maybe my type has changed,” Oliver suggested.

“That’s a pretty big change.”

Oliver gave Felicity her wine when she returned with Thea a short while later but then she was gone again, off talking to people and making business connections. Oliver was doing much the same thing. It’s what he generally did at these events and he didn’t think much of it until Thea brought it up a couple hours later.

“If you want people to think you and Felicity are more than just business acquaintances, you’re going about it the wrong way.”

“What? What do you mean, Thea, we’re married.”

“Oh, please,” she scoffed. “I wasn’t born yesterday, big brother.”

“Thea…”

“I’m just saying, if you don’t want this gala to go to waste, if you want to be seen, and hopefully, photographed and talked about in the papers as a married couple, then you want to be actually _seen together_. Go ask her to dance. It’ll make a big splash. The night is winding down and people will be leaving soon, this is your last good chance to drum up some good press.”

“I don’t dance,” he sputtered.

“Tonight, you do. Go get her, tiger.”

Oliver gaped at his little sister and she just shrugged, smile beatifically. Then, she shooed him in the direction of Felicity, who was talking with an older couple on the other side of the room.

“Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland, could I borrow my wife for a moment?” he said, cupping Felicity’s elbow. The couple smiled and made glad noises as he led Felicity away, towards the small dance floor.

“What’s up, Oliver?” Felicity asked.

“I thought we should dance, be seen by everyone before people start leaving.”

“Dancing? I didn’t know you danced,” she said. “There aren’t very many people dancing.”

A fact which was causing his palms to sweat slightly. “All the better to be seen. And perhaps even photographed.” Oliver pulled her into his arms when they reached the dance floor.

Felicity gave him a conspiratorial little smile. “Ahhh, wanting to end up in the gossip rags, Oliver? When was the last time you actually _wanted_ that to happen?”

He fought an eyeroll but he was smiling. Felicity moved with him as they swayed to the music provided by the four piece string quartet. It felt good… natural. Oliver focused on her, on his hand on her waist and around her back. Her hand was on his shoulder and also around his back. She smelled _great_. He’d noticed this scent before, most notably on the day they got married.

Oliver very nearly got lost in her… the only thing that stopped him from sinking into her blue-grey eyes completely was a flash from off to the side. Someone had taken their picture. Felicity grinned at him, winking and he chuckled. The ploy worked.

As Thea had predicted, everyone started leaving shortly after that and his family decided to follow suit. Oliver guided Felicity out of the museum and down the steps towards where his driver and sometimes bodyguard, John Diggle, was waiting with the town car.

The big, burly man held the back door open for them. “Did you have a nice evening, Mrs. Queen?” he asked her. Felicity looked almost startled as she paused before getting in. Then she smiled.

“Yes, I did. Thank you for asking, Mr. Diggle.”

Oliver got in after her and Dig drove them away. “Where to, Mr. Queen?” he asked, steering the large car out into the dwindling night traffic.

“Let’s bring Felicity home first and then you can drop me off at my penthouse,” Oliver said.

“As you wish.”

Felicity nudged his arm and said quietly, “He knows the truth too, then?”

Oliver chuckled. “Dig knows everything.”

“That’s true, I do,” came the voice from the front seat.

“So much for keeping it quiet,” Felicity said. “And you were giving me a hard time about Dinah.”

“That reminds me,” he said. “Thea knows too.”

“Thea knows?? How did she find out?” Felicity asked, alarmed.

“She figured it out on her own,” he replied. “It’s kind of scary, actually.”

“Huh. That explains why she said what she did when we went to the ladies room together.”

“What did she say?”

“She was complimenting my dress and she said something like this dress would make you think about me. The way she said it, was like you were someone I was trying to seduce and not, like, my actual husband. Anyhow, I was all, ‘what did you mean by that?’ and she just rolled her eyes and said ‘oh god, she’s as bad as he is.’” Felicity shrugged. “It just makes sense, now. She’s not going to tell anyone, right? Like your parents?”

“She won’t breathe a word,” Oliver promised. “Thea is a steel trap. I can’t tell you how many times she kept quiet about parties I threw in high school, times I came home in the middle of the night, drugs she’d find in my room…”

“Scandalous!” she exclaimed, her eyes twinkling.

“I was quiet the bad boy then,” he agreed.

“You still are,” she said, nudging his knee with hers.

“Maybe not so much,” he murmured, looking down at his hands in his lap.

He could have sworn he heard Dig murmur from the front seat, “Oh my god, these two.”

***

_Present Day_

It felt like they’d been traveling forever. The novelty had definitely worn off, probably hours ago when Felicity had woken up on the plane and learned they still had three hours left before landing. Still, she’d been able to sleep in the comfy, reclining seat so that was _something_. Thank god for first class.

But then after they landed in Fiji, they had to take a car to the harbor and get on a boat. The boat ride wasn’t too long but it was still a couple of hours. Felicity was beyond done with the whole traveling thing and just wanted to sleep. Or drink. Or drink then sleep. Preferably on the beach.

Felicity sat in the shade on the boat, looking out at the sparkling blue water that sped by beneath them. It was impossibly blue in color and she’d never seen ocean water that color before. It almost hurt her eyes to look at, even with her sunglasses on. 

Oliver was talking to the boat pilot at the rear of the boat. There were a few more tourists who weren’t associated with the wedding who were riding along as well, so the boat was full. The weather was fantastic. The sun was hot, and the humidity was outrageous. Felicity could feel the hairs escaping from her ponytail (which she’d had to readjust after her long nap on the plane) curling up in the moist air and just knew she’d be mostly frizzy for the duration of their stay. The only thing for it was to embrace the curl and let her hair do it’s natural thing, encouraging the curl. Straightening her hair was out of the question without using a boatload of product and she liked to avoid that if at all possible.

The surroundings were gorgeous though and Felicity didn’t care one bit about her hair as she gazed out at the surrounding islands that they passed. She saw a lot of resorts, getting her excited for when they finally reached _their_ resort. Would they have those little huts out on the water? Because that would be amazing. Or maybe a swim-up bar.

She’d been worrying about carrying out this ruse for weeks now and now that she was here, those worries melted away. How could anyone not have a great time in a place like this? Plus, she was going to be here for Thea, watching her marry the man she loves and that was pretty amazing too. Felicity had always loved weddings, her own notwithstanding.

Oliver came back over and sat down next to her. “I see a big smile on your face,” he said, pointing. “Does this mean you’re coming around?”

“I was never _not_ coming around,” she argued, swatting him playfully. “But yes, I’m excited for this. It’s going to be fun.”

“I told you.” His smile was smug, an eyebrow cocked.

“No one likes a braggart,” Felicity said primly.

“You’ll get plenty of time to lay out in the sun,” he promised her.

“With a mai tai?” she asked hopefully.

“All the mai tais you can handle.”

“With umbrellas?”

“Absolutely with umbrellas.” He laughed at her squeal of delight.

Felicity willed the boat to move faster, wanting to get to that beach as soon as possible. She wanted to feel the warm sand between her toes, the sun warming her skin, the breeze ruffling her hair… She wasn’t even worried about sharing a room with Oliver any longer. They’d been sharing an apartment for several months now and that’d been a piece of cake. What difference would just one room make? There’d be a sofa that she or Oliver could sleep on and if they were lucky, maybe it’d be a suite. Piece of cake!

Plus, she had fun with Oliver. He’d made that ridiculously long flight bearable. They were, she dared to think it, _friends_. A week on an island together was only going to deepen that friendship and any worries about romantic or sexual tension were just silly.

Nothing to worry about _at all_.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the present, Oliver and Felicity finally arrive in Motu Nui, and get a surprise or two. In flashbacks, we see Moira putting the pressure on Oliver, requiring him and Felicity to make another amendment to their agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first: A warning that this chapter (and all the others, let's be honest) are not beta'd or edited. I'm not a great editor, admittedly, and I've been spending more time writing than I have editing, which is what I prefer to do. LOL! So have some patience with me if you find some errors. I own all of them with my laziness!
> 
> Good news: I'm working on the penultimate chapter RIGHT NOW. Too much fun... so much good stuff going on and I can't wait for you guys to read it all. 
> 
> Happy Wednesday and thanks for reading this. I love each and every kudos and comment and reblog and retweet... You guys are awesome and I just want you to know that I value all of it. You keep me going.

_Four months ago…_

It was the Sunday following the gala. Oliver was relaxing with a beer, his feet bare, wearing sweatpants, watching the game on his big screen television. Life was pretty good, he thought to himself. Which was definitely tempting fate because not five minutes after the thought crossed his mind that everything was going pretty damn well in his life, there was a knock at his door.

There was a chance it was Tommy; sometimes he’d swing by to watch the football game with him. But his best friend usually called first. And if it was someone outside of his immediate circle, the front desk would call up first.

Curiosity had him padding across the penthouse to the door to see who it was. And it was safe to say that his mother was the last person he expected to see standing on his doorstep.

“Mom! What are you doing here?” he asked, swinging the door open. The last time she’d been to his place was, well… the Sunday they’d had brunch when she’d given him the idea to marry Felicity. Her visits were rare and she always, always called first.

“Good morning to you too, Oliver,” she said. “May I come in?”

He’d been so surprised to see her there that he’d blocked the doorway. “Oh! Yes, come on in.” He stepped aside to let her in and scratched the back of his head while she sailed past him. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“I’m fine, dear. Just came from brunch with Thea,” she said. He noticed she was scanning his apartment, her eyes missing nothing. He wondered what she was looking for.

“What’s this visit about?” he finally asked, unable to bear the unknown any longer.

His mother paused near the kitchen table and turned to look at him, her smile thin. “I just wanted to visit,” she said. “Am I not allowed to want to see my son? You never come to the house for dinner anymore as it is.”

He felt a wave of guilt. He’d gotten out of the habit of attending family dinners back when his mother had been badgering him to get married. Since he had, he hadn’t thought to start going again. At least not until the gala on Friday when she’d pointedly mentioned that he hadn’t brought Felicity to the house yet.

“Of course you’re allowed,” he said. “It’s just… you usually call first.”

“I was already out and I left my cell phone at home,” she said breezily, still looking around the room. Oliver knew that was a thin excuse; her driver had surely brought her here and he had a phone. The car had a phone as well. It made him all the more uneasy about what really had brought her there, especially with her examining his apartment the way she was doing.

“Why don’t you have a seat?” he suggested, gesturing to the sofa. Her walking through his apartment was making him nervous.

She did so, folding her hands in her lap as she sat on his sofa. He sat next to her, reaching for the remote to turn off the game.

“I won’t keep you too long, I know you like to watch your sports on the weekend,” she said. “But I was wondering… is Felicity not here?”

Oliver felt the blood drain from his face. How had he not even _considered_ that or that his mother would be looking for her? “Uh… she’s, uh… she went to Vegas to visit her mother.”

Moira’s eyebrows lifted and her expression remained cool. “Did she? That’s sudden.”

“Actually, she’s been planning it for a few weeks now,” Oliver explained, thinking quickly. “I drove her to the airport yesterday.”

She quirked her head and watched him. “Why aren’t you there with her?”

He licked his lips. “I have a big meeting with Bruce Wayne tomorrow morning, I needed to be here for that and to prepare for it today. Which… I plan to do after the game is over.”

She nodded slowly but otherwise seemed to accept this excuse. Oliver tried to resist the urge to blow out a relieved breath. But his relief was very short lived.

“She must not have much of a flair for decorating,” his mother remarked, looking around the apartment from where she sat. “I don’t see much of a woman’s hand here at all. In fact, this apartment doesn’t look much different than how it did the last time I was here.”

 _Shit_. “Uh… we’re hunting for a new place, for the two of us. Didn’t see much point in redecorating if we’re just going to move in a couple months, you know?” The lie rolled off his tongue so easily that he probably should have been ashamed but instead, he was just _glad_.

“Oh, where are you looking? Are you in the market for a house or another apartment?” she asked, her tone shifting. “I can recommend a realtor, I know the best in the city.”

“Uh, sure, that’d be great. We haven’t had a lot of time to look lately and we’re having a hard time agreeing. I think another apartment will do, for now. We’re not looking to get suburban yet,” he said with a nervous laugh.

“That’s a shame. I wouldn’t mind some grandchildren.”

If Oliver’s face could have lost even more blood, it would have. His mother was trying to kill him. She must have noticed because she chuckled fondly. “Oh, don’t get upset, Oliver. I’m joking with you… mostly. I do expect grandchildren at some point, though, so don’t get too used to the honeymooner lifestyle.”

He wished he could have laughed with her but he was busy trying to feel his feet again.

As much as his lies seemed to have satisfy his mother for the moment, Oliver could tell she was still suspicious. She was looking for signs of Felicity’s belongings in the apartment and wasn’t find anything. Which made sense because of course she had none there. As soon as his mother left, Oliver called Felicity up on the phone.

“What’s up?” she asked when she answered.

“We have a problem,” he told her. “It’s my mother.”

“Oh god, what now? Did she figure it out? She looked super suspicious of us on Friday night.”

“She’s definitely suspicious. She just left my apartment after stopping by unannounced.”

“Oh frack, did she ask why I wasn’t there??”

Felicity was always quicker on the uptake than he was. “Yeah. I told her you were visiting your mother and I had to stay behind because of a business meeting. She seemed to buy it for now but… Felicity, there’s something else.”

“What is it?”

“She noticed that there was none of your stuff here in my apartment. I put her off by saying we were currently shopping for a new place to move into and hadn’t wanted to spend much effort on redecorating this place.”

“Oh… _frack_.”

“I think we need to move in together.”

***

_Present Day_

The boat pulled up at the dock on Motu Nui, jostling everyone slightly. No one seemed to care; they were all busy craning their necks to get a good look at the resort and the natural beauty of the island that rose up before them. There were some people gathered on the covered dock and Oliver recognized his sister and Roy amongst those who were waiting there.

“Ollie!” she cried out as the staff quickly tied up the boat and began to offload the luggage.

He waved at her and Felicity did as well. Oliver took Felicity’s hand and led her off the boat. She rocked a little as they stepped onto the dock, unused to the solid ground there. Or… mostly solid. As solid as either of them had been on for the last couple of years.

Moments later, Thea engulfed her in a hug and Roy shook his hand. “Thanks for coming,” he said. “And thanks for agreeing to be a groomsman.”

“Thanks for asking me,” Oliver said, patting the younger man on the shoulder.

“Well, Thea asked before I had a chance,” Roy corrected, coloring a little.

He grinned. “So you’re learning that very little gets in my sister’s way when she wants to do something?”

“Oh yeah. That’s on of the _first_ things I learned about her,” Roy said.

“Hey! You two talking about me?” Thea demanded as she and Felicity joined them.

“Just singing your praises, babe,” Roy told her, leaning over to press a kiss to her cheek.

“You two are too sweet,” Felicity said, smiling a little. It might have just been his imagination but he thought maybe her smile was a little wistful.

“Just showing you two how it’s done,” she replied with a wink. Felicity blushed a little and Oliver cleared his throat.

“Where are we headed? We could both use a nap.”

“The beach, I need the beach,” Felicity clarified.

“A nap on the beach,” he said.

“We’ll show you the way,” Thea said and Roy went to tell the staff to get the luggage loaded onto the golf cart that sat waiting at the end of the dock. “But first, I have something huge to ask you, Felicity.”

“Oh? What is it? I’ll be happy to help.”

They rejoined Roy at the cart and he grinned. “You might change your mind when you hear what it is she needs.”

Oliver helped Felicity step up into the cart and sat next to her. Roy and Thea settled into the seat facing them. Once all the luggage was loaded, the staff member driving their cart took off with a little lurch that had Felicity reaching out to grab onto him for stability. Oliver tried to ignore the little thrill he felt at her touch.

“I need you to be a bridesmaid,” Thea announced.

Felicity tore her eyes from gaping at the sights and sounds of the resort around them and looked at his sister, alarmed. “What??”

“My best friend had to back out at the last minute,” she explained. “Her grandmother passed away yesterday and she found out when she was already on her way to the airport.”

“Oh, how terrible!” Felicity gasped.

“Yeah, I feel bad for Breanne. She was really looking forward to this week but she’s also super close with her grandmother. She has to be devastated right now.”

“Very understandable why she couldn’t make it,” Felicity agreed. Roy and Oliver both nodded. “But… bridesmaid, Thea? Don’t you have a cousin here you could ask, who would be more appropriate? We’ve only known each other for a few months.”

Thea reached across the cart to take Felicity’s hands in hers. “And in those few months you’ve become one of my best friends,” she said. “Plus, you _are_ family. I don’t care about what you two think your relationship is, you are my sister in law. And I’d be so thrilled to have you stand up with me when I get married.”

Felicity wiped at her eyes, sniffling. “That’s not fair, making me cry,” she said with a little laugh. “I’d be happy to, Thea. And if we weren’t bumping along a dirty road in this golf cart right now, I’d be hugging you.”

“I’ll take a rain check,” Thea said, dashing away a few of her own tears.

Oliver reached for Felicity’s hand and squeezed it, as a way of thanking her for being there for his little sister. It was clear that Thea was important to her in her own right, not just because she was his sister. And that meant so much to him, more than he could probably ever tell her.

“I won’t let you forget,” Felicity replied.

“Now, before I forget, I have itineraries for both of you. Since you’re both in the wedding party now,” Thea said, reaching down and picking up a couple of portfolios which she handed to both of them.

“Itineraries?” Oliver echoed, eyeing the folder on his lap. It was emblazoned with the resort’s logo and beneath that, “Thea Queen and Roy Harper, January 2018”. Felicity was examining hers as well, opening it up and reading through the paper that was clipped inside.

“Couples massage?” she read out.

Oliver opened his and read too. For each day, there was a list of activities listed next to times. It wasn’t just couples massage… there were many activities laid out all week long for the wedding party to partake in. A lot of the activities could definitely be construed as romantic.

He looked up and met his sister’s eye. Thea’s eyes were twinkling and she was smiling. Oliver didn’t doubt that her story about her other bridesmaid was a true one, but he also believed wholeheartedly that his little matchmaking sister had seen an opportunity and leapt on it.

“So much for hours and hours of laying on the beach,” Felicity said.

“Oh, it’ll be fun. You’ll see. Tommy will be there and so will Greta, our cousin who is my other bridesmaid. You’ll love her, she’s a hoot.”

Oliver squeezed Felicity’s hand again and gave her an apologetic smile.

“You’re free for the next couple of hours, at least,” Roy said. “Dinner isn’t until 7 o’clock.”

“We’re getting the whole family together, wedding party included. A welcome feast, if you will. We’re taking over the entire restaurant. Well, one of them anyhow. There’s several here at the resort,” Thea explained.

“A couple hours should be long enough to nap and rejuvenate,” Felicity said, sounding a little unsure.

“Here we are,” Thea announced as the cart slowed to a stop. They were right at the shore, next to another walkway that lead out over the water. A small way out, the docking branched out, each branch leading to a little thatched-roof bungalow. Felicity gasped audibly at the sight.

“Oh! We get to stay in one of these?” she asked.

Thea grinned. “Yep. You two get one of them all to yourselves. Here, follow me.”

Oliver, Roy and the staff member who’d been driving the cart all grabbed the luggage and followed Felicity and Thea along the docking. She stopped at one of the furthest bungalows. She handed the key to Felicity and she did the honors, opening the door.

“Oh… my!” Felicity breathed as she stepped inside. Oliver and the rest followed and the first thing he saw was the back of the bungalow was open to the ocean beyond, sparkling green-blue for as far as the eye could see.

Felicity hurried through the bungalow to the back deck to check out the view and Thea followed her, grinning. Oliver was about to join them when he noticed something else about the bungalow: how it was essentially one large room and there was one bed. A very _large_ bed, but still… one bed. And… he looked around… a small and mostly ornamental looking sofa. On a small bureau sat a basket of fresh fruit and a bottle of champagne next to a little note that said “Welcome to paradise, Oliver and Felicity!”. He recognized his sister’s handwriting. That made him turn and regard the room again, including the open flow into the bathroom that provided a clear view of the walk-in shower and the bathtub and, yep, no place to lay down and sleep that he could see. So there was no privacy to speak of and not really any other options for places to sleep unless…

Oliver walked out onto the deck and, yes, while there were two chaise lounges there he didn’t think either was going to be practical to sleep on. Well. That was going to be a problem.

“Oliver! Isn’t this view amazing?” Felicity gushed, her smile bright and cheerful even though he knew she had to be every bit as exhausted as he was.

“It’s great,” he agreed. “You should check out the rest of the place.”

“Oooh,” she said, moving past him into the bungalow, passing Roy on his way out to join them at the deck rail.

Oliver looked to his sister. “You know there’s only one bed in there?” he asked her.

Thea looked overly innocent. “Is there? Oh. I thought it was a suite.”

He shook his head. “You knew exactly what this bungalow was like. You left us a little gift in there, even.”

His sister blinked at him for a moment before she finally deflated and rolled her eyes. “Okay, you got me. But I thought it would… help.”

“I told you he was gonna be pissed,” Roy said. The boy didn’t speak a whole lot, which sort of made him a great match for his sister, but when he did he spoke the truth.

“He’s not pissed, Roy.”

“I’m a little pissed,” Oliver said.

“No, you’re not,” Thea insisted. “You’re scared, because you know this is going to expose some _truths_. And because you know Felicity is going to be pissed.”

“We need to switch bungalows,” he told her.

“You can’t,” she said, cringing.

“Why not?” he growled.

“There are no more. All the bungalows are sold out and the guest houses on the beach are tied up too. I’m sorry, Ollie.”

He gave her a look. “No, you’re not even _remotely_ sorry.”

“Thea!” came a loud voice from inside the bungalow.

“Bingo,” Thea said, grinning at Roy. “Come on, Roy, that’s our cue. See you two at dinner, don’t kill each other before then!”

Oliver watched as his sister marched through the bungalow, Roy in tow. Sure. It was easy for her to drop this bomb and then retreat before any fallout fell on her. Oliver turned around to watch his sister neatly sidestep Felicity before leaving out the door.

Leaving them alone.

Felicity marched up to him, her face a mask of horrified indignation. “Do you see this? There’s only one bed! One _room_!” she cried.

“I did see that, yes.”

“Why aren’t you more upset about this?” she demanded.

“What would me getting upset do? Thea already told me that there’s no other bungalows or guest houses available. This is it. We can either throw fits about it or we can deal with it. Choice is yours.”

Felicity blinked, clearly surprised at his up-front rebuttal. “Oh,” was all she said.

“I’m willing to make the best of it. Are you?” he asked her, gentling his tone.

Felicity chewed her lip, looking out at the ocean beyond the bungalow. Finally, she nodded and then looked up to meet his eyes. “Yeah, I can do that. What’s the worst that can happen, right?”

He smiled at her, but inwardly, he knew a great many things could go completely sideways. And the wedding was still _days_ away.

***

_Three months ago…_

Felicity hated the idea the moment Oliver brought it up. Moving in together? That was _definitely_ not what she had in mind when she agreed to this arrangement. She loved her apartment and her independence and basically not having to acknowledge this “marriage” at all. Moving in with Oliver would change all of that.

And it would mean spending more time with him. Even if they only saw each other in the evenings and in the mornings and on weekends… it was a lot more Oliver than she was used to. All this time, Felicity had convinced herself that she was able to resist Oliver because they kept apart so much.

After Oliver told her they’d needed to move in together she’d thought he was joking. They met up for drinks and lunch at a nearby street cafe where Oliver explained his mother’s visit in detail and his reasoning behind why he thought they needed to move in together. Specifically why they needed to buy a new place.

Felicity hated to admit it, but he was right. There was no real way around it, but it would help go towards throwing Moira off their scent. Not that Felicity expected Moira to suddenly back off and forget her suspicions. Her impressions of the woman from before the gala were not only confirmed but cemented after talking to her.

Mrs. Queen was sharp as a tack and not the sort of woman you tried to pull one over on. More than that, she was fiercely protective of her family and wasn’t afraid to let her disdain be known. And Felicity had gotten the _strong_ impression that Moira did not care for her, not one bit.

But Robert Queen seemed to like her and Thea was eager to be friends… not to mention Oliver seemed at least somewhat fond of her. He probably didn’t have a crush on her like she had on him but she was reasonably sure that he liked her.So that was three against one, as far as Moira was concerned. And in order to keep the Queen matriarch on her side, Felicity knew she had to play the game and times called for doubling down on her bet.

Apparently gambling analogies were still in her vernacular. You can take the girl out of Vegas…

Felicity did have a request: she wanted to have final say on their new apartment. Oliver seemed more than willing to let her have that, but he wanted to at least see the contenders. This meant they had to squeeze in apartment hunting in between work responsibilities and everything else. It required syncing up their schedules, meeting on lunch breaks, after work… They wanted to move quickly on this so every day was vital and not to be wasted.

It was Thursday evening and Oliver and Felicity had been apartment hunting every day of the week so far. They were nearing the end of the listings their agent had available and the end of their patience as well.

The first apartment had been in the wrong location, clear on the other side of the Glades and too far from the downtown corridor. The second had a tiny kitchen that Oliver vetoed on sight. The third and fourth only had one bedroom (and they absolutely required two). The fifth was nice and a perfect location, but the second bedroom was separated from the bath. Felicity really wanted both bedrooms to have adjoining bathrooms, even though Oliver said he’d be willing to take the room without the attached bathroom. This lead to them telling their agent that they would prefer dual master bedrooms and an additional half bath for guests. The sixth apartment had all of that, but it also had an additional bedroom (and the half bath was a full bath). Both Oliver and Felicity agreed that three bedrooms just felt too large. That was when their agent made a remark about having a room for a hypothetical future baby.

Oliver had paled and Felicity is pretty sure she’d turned positively grey. They’d assured the agent that two bedrooms was the most they needed at this point in time.

The eighth apartment was close enough to QC, but not quite convenient for Smoak Tech so Felicity vetoed that. The ninth had what Oliver considered an “insecure” lobby and no doorman. The tenth had views that looked right into the side of a building.

Tonight, they were visiting their eleventh apartment. Even their agent looked a little weary as she met them in front of the building. They’d arrived together; Oliver had Dig drive by Felicity’s building to pick her up after five o’clock. Gotta protect that image, after all.

“Mr. and Mrs. Queen! Lovely to see you again this evening,” their agent, Bonnie Baker, gushed as they stepped from the car. They’d just left the woman hours earlier; she’d shown them the tenth apartment over lunch.

“You as well, Ms. Baker. What do you have for us here? This is a great location?”

That much was definitely true. You could pull up a map of downtown Starling and draw a triangle, with this apartment, Smoak Tech, and Queen Consolidated each representing points on that triangle. It was convenient to both companies as well as local attractions like dining and shopping. Felicity was already impressed based on that alone. Now, standing here and looking up at the stately, attractive building, she was even more impressed. It was high class without being overly extravagant. Felicity came from a pretty humble background and she didn’t care to live in some museum now. That wouldn’t be home. But this building looked both elegant and homey.

“This looks great,” Felicity said truthfully. “I can’t wait to see inside.”

“You’ll love it,” Bonnie assured her and she looked to Oliver. “You both will. I’m confident that this one will check all of your boxes.”

“I sure hope so,” Oliver said, nodding to the doorman and studying the lobby as they entered the building.

Bonnie gave them her spiel as she walked them through the lobby, introducing them to the concierge at the security desk and pointing out several features like the mail room and the cushy waiting area. She kept talking as they rode the elevator up, mentioning the indoor pool and gym which made Oliver perk up considerably.

The apartment was on the top floor and while it wasn’t a traditional penthouse as it shared the floor with another apartment, it was considered a “premiere” apartment for the building. There was a vestibule that entered into that had doors to this apartment and the other as well. Bonnie explained that the elevator would only go up to this floor with a keycard and they were programming in-app access so they could unlock the floor using just their cell phones. Both of them thought that would be super handy.

Bonnie let them in to the apartment and Felicity lost her words. From the moment she stepped in, she felt a warm sense of welcoming. There was exposed brick walls, wood floors and wood beams and accents that gave everything a cozy feel, but also large windows and updated fixtures and an open floorplan that felt trendy and updated.

“Oh, wow,” she breathed.

Bonnie talked to them about the apartment as they each moved through the main living spaces independently, checking everything out. Eventually, she stopped and smiled at them.

“You two haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?” she said, no censure in her voice.

“Sorry,” Oliver said, looking abashed. “It’s just… this place might just be perfect.”

“Tell you what. I’ll leave the info sheet here on the counter for you, and I’ll step out. When you’re done looking, I’ll be down in the lobby and if you decide you want to put an offer in, we can talk that over. This place isn’t even listed yet, I called in a favor and I can promise that once it is, there will be a lot of offers pouring in so if you like it, I wouldn’t delay on this.”

Oliver thanked her and she left them alone in the apartment.

“What does the sheet say?” Felicity asked.

He picked it up and read through it. “Two master bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, balcony, two parking slots in the attached garage, access to the gym and pool… wow, this place is perfect, Felicity.”

“What’s the cost?” she asked.

When he told her the number, she was surprised. She’d expected it to be a lot more expensive. “It seems like it’s the perfect size,” she said. “I love these windows and the view.”

“I never thought I’d like the brick like this, but it works, especially with the wood floors and beams,” he remarked. Oliver walked through the kitchen and Felicity followed, smiling as he stroked his fingers along the countertops. “I _love_ these concrete countertops. And the gas cooktop.”

“These appliances look great,” she agreed, admittedly not really at home in the kitchen. “I could wash some mad dishes with this dishwasher.”

Oliver chuckled. “Let’s go check out the bedrooms,” he suggested.

Both bedrooms looked to be the same size, which was important. One had a bit nicer bathroom attached, a jet tub and a huge walk in shower where the other only had the shower. Oliver suggested she take the room with the tub since she was more likely to use it than he was. Felicity wasn’t going to argue with that.

Both bathrooms opened onto the huge balcony that spanned the length of the apartment. Since each bedroom was on opposite sides of the apartment, the living and kitchen areas sat between them. That gave them each a great deal of privacy which Felicity knew she’d be grateful for.

“I won’t have to hear when you have your hookups over,” she remarked as they stood out on the balcony.

He turned to her, an eyebrow lifted. “Excuse me?”

Felicity shrugged, hoping it looked as nonchalant as she was hoping. “With the rooms separated like this, we’ll each have privacy so when you bring home girls you meet at the club or whatever, I won’t have to listen.”

“I don’t bring home hookups,” he told her, sounding offended.

Yeah, she didn’t buy that for a nanosecond. “Sure, okay Romeo. Whatever you say.”

Oliver actually looked a little hurt. “You don’t have to believe me, it’s the truth. But you’re right, this way either of us can bring people home and not bother the other.”

She furrowed her brow. “I don’t bring people home,” she protested. And it was true. But then, there was the fact that she hadn’t hooked up with _anyone_ in… well… a really long time. She didn’t like to count back because she’d just get depressed.

Her life was busy, okay? Where would she find the time to date?

Oliver looked surprised that she said that though and Felicity wondered if he thought her dating life was busier than it actually was. Then she wondered how she felt about him thinking that… a petty part of her wanted him to think but there was also this urge, deep down, to reassure him that she’s not interested in anyone else. Er, or rather, in anyone. Yes. Full stop.

The tension between them ramped up. Despite being outside on this beautiful balcony overlooking the city and the sparkling bay beyond, the air felt still and loaded. Felicity fidgeted with her fingers unsure what to say but wanting to fill the silence.

“Maybe we should go meet Bonnie,” she said at last.

Oliver looked relieved. “Yes. What should we tell her about this place? We want it, right? You get final say.”

Felicity nodded so hard her ponytail bobbed and swayed, brushing against her neck and shoulders. “Yes. Absolutely yes. Have her put in an offer. Full asking price. Is that okay?”

He nodded too. “Yeah, that sounds fine with me. We can settle up the financials amongst ourselves.”

They walked through the apartment and Felicity looked around her with the eyes of a new homeowner. As reluctant as she was to move out of her apartment (and she was strongly considering keeping the space, if just to have someplace to go if and when she should need it), she was excited to move in _here_. It was a beautiful apartment and even the awkwardness of sharing it with Oliver wouldn’t be enough to take away from that.

Hopefully, living together would be no big deal and would appease the mighty Moira Queen. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity undergo their most nerve-wracking public scrutiny yet. Meanwhile, one last flashback shows how these two have juggled co-habitation in the months directly before the island getaway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, friends! Thanks so much for the love you gave last chapter. I really hope you love this one too! I'm writing the LAST chapter right now. So glad I was able to stay on schedule! 
> 
> I've got good news and bad news. First, the bad news: this is the last chapter that includes a flashback. From here on out, it's all in the present (more or less). I know a lot of you have really enjoyed the flashback glimpses but they've taken us as far as they can take us now. 
> 
> The good news is that this flashback is my FAVORITE one yet. I really hope you'll all agree with me. I got the idea from [a post I saw reblogged on my dash](http://muslimsmoak.tumblr.com/post/169522412325/lerayon-fangirlfromthenorthcountry) a while back. So a big tip of the hat to the original post creator and to muslimsmoak who reblogged it and made me have a good giggle one morning (which lead to me thinking "hmmm... I could add that into my latest chapter!"). 
> 
> Thanks again to everyone who is reading and encouraging me. Encouraging fic writers is SO IMPORTANT... especially when you're feeling let down by creators and canon. Fic allows us to make our own reality when the one presented to us is disappointing. And, hopefully, shows the creators what the fans really enjoy and respond to. And even if not, it's FUN. I love reading these two in scenarios that I know we'll never see on the show. Don't you?
> 
> Anyhow, enough blabber. On with the chapter!

_Present Day_

Oliver figured “island casual” was the dress code for the foreseeable future and put on a short sleeved button down and some long shorts to go with it. Then, he went out on the deck to hang out and wait while Felicity got dressed in private, determined not to look back behind him no matter how badly he wanted to.

Felicity had fallen into the bed shortly after they arrived and fell asleep. Oliver had been tempted to join her but then decided it would be wise to get fresh air instead. He’d changed into his trunks and gone for a dip in the ocean just off of their deck. The water was warm and soothing and floating there helped him finally think straight. Thinking straight with Felicity in the same room was difficult and he needed to be able to do it to get through this week.

The alternative was losing his head and doing something foolish… like kissing her. Or more than just kissing. Because Oliver was no fool and he knew that kissing her, _really_ kissing her… would just make him want more and more. And he would ruin her if that happened because that’s what he did.

He just couldn’t risk it.

After his swim, he’d laid out on the deck until the sun dipped low in the sky and Felicity woke from her nap. It’d been time to get ready for dinner then and she’d sat out on the deck, reading a book while he took a shower and got dressed. Now it was his turn… but they needed to leave soon. Thea wouldn’t be happy if they were late.

“Felicity?” he called out. “You ready yet?”

“Yes,” she replied from just behind him. Oliver turned to see her standing there, wearing a beautiful dress. It was black but decorated with all kinds of colorful embroidered flowers and leaves. It buttoned down the front and she’d left the first few buttons undone and the dress fluttered open around her legs. Her hair was down, dried and falling in soft curls around her shoulders. She looked relaxed, fresh and beautiful.

Oliver tried to hide his obvious appraisal of her and shifted from foot to food. “We, uh, should probably get going. Don’t want to be late.”

“Lead the way,” she said, stepping aside and gesturing towards the front door.

They left the bungalow and started walking down the dock towards the rest of the resort and Oliver was pleased to feel Felicity thread her arm through his. He knew it was for the appearance but it felt so good and right that he couldn’t keep the small smile off of his lips as they strolled down the path that lead towards the restaurant Thea had reserved for the night.

When they arrived, they found that most everyone was already there but no one was sitting yet. They were all standing around, drinking and talking. Oliver and Felicity hung back, looking for familiar faces. He saw his parents who were speaking to… was that his aunt and uncle? He hadn’t seen them in years and he couldn’t quite recall what they looked like. There were a lot of people Oliver knew to be his parents friends and there were some of Thea and Roy’s friends as well. Finally, they noticed Tommy talking to a pretty young girl and walked over to join him.

Oliver could feel eyes on them and knew that people were watching them. More people probably knew who they were than vice versa which made for a bit of an uncomfortable vibe.

“Hey, Tommy,” he greeted his friend.

Tommy turned to them and his face transformed into a huge smile. “My favorite people!” he cried. Then he turned to the girl who looked startled. “No offense, beautiful.” He winked at her before turning back to Oliver and engulfing him in a huge hug.

“What time did you guys get in?” he asked as he released Oliver and hugged Felicity.

“Uh, around 2. I pretty much passed out right away,” Felicity admitted sheepishly.

“I don’t blame you, that’s a hell of a long flight,” Tommy said. “I got in late last night and I still am not sure what day it is, much less what time!”

“Who’s your friend?” Oliver asked, smiling at the girl. Felicity shot him a look but he couldn’t for the life of him define it.

“Oh! Where are my manners. This is Thea’s friend from SCU, Melissa. Melissa, this is my oldest friend in the world, Oliver Queen. And this lovely lady right here is his wife, Felicity Smoak.”

Oliver shook her hand and she smiled bashfully at him. Felicity followed his lead but her smile was more forced.

“It was nice to meet both of you. I should probably get back to my friend,” she said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. “I’ll see you later, Tommy?”

He grinned at her, the expression too debonair to be lascivious but just barely. “You definitely will.”

“Should I go after her and make sure she has condoms on hand?” Felicity asked, smirking.

“Nonsense! I always carry my own,” Tommy said. “But let’s not talk about my sexual conquests… how are _you two_ doing?”

The implication was clear. Felicity’s cheeks colored and Oliver gave his friend a look. “We’re just fine, Tommy, thanks for worrying.”

“Okay, but if you need any of my condom stash, you know where to find me.”

This time, Felicity swatted his arm.

Dinner began shortly after that and everyone took their seats. There was one large table, spanning the room. Thea and Roy sat at one end together and Oliver’s parents sat next to her. Oliver and Felicity sat next to Roy and then Tommy next to Felicity.The food was amazing and just kept coming and coming. Felicity’s eyes lit up when she saw the first course and that delight never disappeared throughout the course of dinner.

Oliver enjoyed watching her, though he tried to keep his appreciation low key. He’d just never known a woman to enjoy food as much as Felicity did. In his experience, women picked at their food and turned up their noses at red meat and bread and anything rich or potentially ‘unhealthy’. But not Felicity; she liked to try a little of everything and reveled in flavors and decadence. And, yeah, the little moans of appreciation she would make when trying a new bite definitely aroused his… interest.

They were enjoying dessert when Thea cleared her throat and clinked her fork against the side of her water glass, getting the attention of everyone at the table. When heads turned her way, she stood up.

“Roy and I want to thank you all for coming here this week to help us celebrate this milestone in our relationship and in our lives. It means the world to us to have those we love the most here to share this with us.” She paused, smiling down at Roy who took her hand and squeezed it. “With that in mind, I have a small request this evening. I’d like everyone at this table who is currently married, be it for 40 years or 4 weeks, to give us your best marital advice. It can be funny or serious or just plain practical. Roy and I could use it all. Sound good? Okay, I’d like my parents to start.”

His father stood and smiled down at his wife. “My best advice is to communicate. Even when you’re afraid of the fallout. Maybe… especially when you’re afraid. Never stop talking to one another.”

He sat down and pressed a kiss to his mother’s cheek and she smiled, her eyes moist. The next married couple on that side of the table followed suit but Oliver was still watching his parents. They’d come pretty far, in his opinion. There’d been secrets over the years but it was true that they’d learned how to finally talk to one another and it had done their marriage wonders. When his mother’s affair with Tommy’s father years and years ago had first come to light, along with the truth of Thea’s parentage, Oliver had worried that his parents’ marriage might be over.

But they’d gone to counseling together. And spent a lot of time alone together, both at the family cabin and on various vacations they took with increasing regularity. Oliver taking over at QC had allowed his parents to have the time to focus on one another when they needed it the most and that had made all the difference. Their marriage was stronger today than it ever had been. In fact, he was jealous of their closeness. Oliver didn’t think he’d ever get to have that.

The couple sitting on Tommy’s other side was giving their advice and Oliver realized that he and Felicity would be next. He looked over at her to see that she was trying to get his attention. Her eyes were wide and she looked panicked. He wished he’d been listening to everyone else, he might have gotten an idea of what to say.

“I have no idea what to say,” he whispered in her ear.

She blew out a sigh and lean in to whisper back. “Were you even listening?”

He shook his head and she rolled her eyes. Light applause interrupted whatever she’d been about to say and all the eyes turned to them. Felicity shot him a look as she got to her feet.

“Uh… Oliver and I have only been married for… well, it’s been about six months now. So we don’t really have any good advice to share yet, we’re still learning how to do this. Um, well, I guess if I had to give any advice, it would be to, uh…” She looked to him, biting her lip, and Oliver could practically _see_ her thinking hard about what to say next. Then, her expression cleared and she continued. “Help your spouse out when they’re in a bind. Be someone they can come to when they need help.”

There was another smattering of light applause as Felicity sat down again. As Thea and Roy thanked everyone for their inspiring words and lifted a glass for everyone to toast with, Oliver used his other hand to pat Felicity on the knee underneath the table. When she looked his way, he nodded at her, smiling.

Felicity was absolutely someone he could come to when he needed help. He’d done it before, though truthfully they’d both needed the help at the time. But watching her smile and sip her wine, he knew he’d come to her again, probably before anyone else. Somehow, in the last six months, she’d become one of his very best friends. The fact that he was pretty sure he was also falling in love with her was just a bonus.

An awful one, considering he couldn’t do anything about it.

The dinner party broke up soon after dinner was finished. Most everyone had arrived that day and were still tired from the long flight so no one was really up for staying up late, Oliver and Felicity included. He caught her yawning behind her hand a few times and had made their excuses to Thea and his parents before leading her from the restaurant.

Neither of them said much as they walked. The moon was up, bathing the pathway and the ocean beyond in silver light. Felicity had her arms wrapped around her self and Oliver wondered if she was cold. It wasn’t a very cool evening. It was humid and warm still, but the breeze kept things from feeling oppressive.

He let them into the bungalow and Felicity immediately went into the bathroom. She’d unpacked her suitcase earlier, stowing her makeup and other toiletries in the bathroom. Oliver lingered near the foot of the bed, wondering what the etiquette was for this situation.

Felicity was rubbing cleanser on her face and she must have seen him in the mirror over the sink because she turned around. “You can come in here and get ready for bed,” she said. “This bathroom is big enough for ten people to share.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

She lifted a shoulder. “We’re going to be here all week, no sense in getting weird about it now I guess.”

Oliver went to his bag and retrieved his own toiletries. He’d unpacked his clothes earlier but left the bathroom stuff there. He took everything into the bathroom and found places for it all. Then, he started to brush his teeth. Felicity rinsed her face and then got out her own tooth brush to brush as well. They each had their own sink and plenty of counter separating the two, but he snuck a look and found her watching him as she brushed. He grinned at her around his toothbrush and she rolled her eyes but he caught her smiling as she leaned down to spit into her sink.

Yes, even her _spitting_ was cute.

They went about their rituals, more or less together. They each took turns in the small water closet where the toilet was located, both to take care of business and change into pajamas. For him, that meant cotton pants. For her, it was a tank top and a pair of shorts. Oliver tried, desperately, not to notice that she wasn’t wearing a bra as they each approached the bed.

“What side do you prefer?” he asked her, feeling hesitant and unsure which are two things he’d never felt before about sharing a bed with a beautiful woman.

“Uh, I guess the side nearest the bathroom?” she said, sounding every bit as unsure as him.

That would leave him the side nearest the door to the bungalow. He nodded. “I think I’d prefer to be by the door anyhow, so that works.”

Felicity raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask him why. She pulled the covers back and climbed in while he turned off all the lights but the one next to his side of the bed.

It was an enormous bed and Oliver felt himself relax a little bit as he pulled down the covers on his side and climbed in. There was quite a bit of room between him and Felicity. Hopefully, it was far enough that his subconscious wouldn’t reach out for her in his sleep. He wanted badly to reach out and touch her, to hold her in his arms as he slept. But that was forbidden territory for him.

“Do you want to read before you sleep or—?” Oliver asked her.

“No, I think I’ll just go to sleep tonight. I’m still pretty tired. You can, if you want,” she replied. She rolled over towards the bathroom and he looked at the line of her back, her hair spilling across the pillow.

“No, I’m tired too,” he said. Turning, he clicked the lamp off next to his side and the room was plunged into darkness, lit only by the moonlight that spilled through the front of the bungalow that opened out onto the deck and the ocean beyond. The sound of the ocean lapping against the pilings of the bungalow was the only sound.

“Goodnight, Felicity,” he said quietly, not sure if she’d already fallen asleep yet or not.

There was a long pause and he was almost sure that she had. But then…

“Goodnight, Oliver,” she replied softly.

He closed his eyes and let the ocean lull him into oblivion.

***

_Two months ago…_

Felicity was enjoying a quiet night in after a long week at work. Her shoes were off, she was wearing her most comfortable pajama pants and tank top with a long flowing open cardigan over that. Her feet were bare and her wine glass was full. It was nice to have the new apartment to herself, but Felicity had to admit she was almost missing Oliver…

In the month since they’d been living together, they’d actually become… well… _friends_. He would cook dinner for them in the evenings while Felicity introduced him to a wide assortment of geek entertainment, courtesy of her Netflix subscription. Recently, they’d been binging Stranger Things together and were halfway through the newly released season 2. She was anxious to finish it up but she wasn’t entirely sure if that was because she really needed to see what was going on with poor Will Byers or because watching with Oliver was so much fun.

They’d eat popcorn, share wine and beer and joke and laugh. He would tease her and she would give back just as good as she got. They talked about their businesses some, but more and more they were talking about more personal things. They were really getting to know one another and Felicity was enjoying it.

It was easy to spend time with Oliver. When she’d met him, she bought into all the media hype about him being this womanizing billionaire playboy. She’d thought there was no way a guy like that could possibly have any substance to him. By the time he’d come to her with this marriage idea, she already knew her initial opinion of him was wrong. In the months since, she’d discovered he was actually pretty sweet and considerate. And in the last few weeks since they’d begun living together, she’d found him to be smart, funny and relatable. Oliver Queen was nothing like the tabloids said he was. And Felicity felt privileged to know the real him.

He was out tonight, having some drinks with Tommy. From what she’d noticed and by his own admission, it was something he didn’t do very often. But Tommy had wanted to celebrate a new franchise deal he’d finally closed on to open Verdants in several major West Coast cities. And in the end, Felicity had urged him to go spend time with his best friend. With the busy lives they all lead, Felicity knew he didn’t have much time to just hang out and as much as Oliver had been wanting to stay in with her and finish up Stranger Things season 2, she knew he also wanted to see Tommy. So he’d gone and she was alone in their beautiful new apartment.

Which was fine. She’d always enjoyed her alone time in the past and she had a new book she’d been wanting to dive into. So far, she was on chapter five and was positively enthralled with it.

Her reading was interrupted by the ringing of the landline phone. They only really had it so that the front desk could call up and announce visitors. Setting her book aside, Felicity rose up off the sofa to answer it, wondering who could be visiting tonight.

“There is a Ms. Thea Queen here to see you, Mrs. Queen,” Francis, the concierge down in the lobby, told her.

“Send her on up, Francis. Thank you!”

Felicity picked up a few things that were strewn here and then and brought her wine glass to the kitchen. She was about to set it in the sink when she had second thoughts. Instead, she pulled a second glass down from the cupboard and filled it and then refilled her own.

A minute later, there was a knock at the door and Felicity went to answer it. She heard Oliver’s voice in her head, telling her to check the peep hole even if she knew who was coming up and rolled her eyes but complied. Naturally, standing in the hall was Thea so she opened the door.

“Hey, Thea,” she greeted. “What’s going on?”

“Can I come in?” Oliver’s sister asked.

“Of course,” Felicity said, stepping aside. Thea swept in and she called after her. “Oliver’s out with Tommy though so if you’re looking for him—”

“Actually, I wanted to come see you,” Thea said, smiling.

“In that case, I have a glass of wine for you in the kitchen.”

They took their wine to the living room and settled on the sofa.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad for the social call, but what brought this on?” Felicity asked.

Thea shrugged. “I know we’ve gone shopping and out to lunch but I just wanted to spend more time with you.”

“Well, you’re welcome here any time. Maybe you can come for dinner now and then, bring Roy with you. Oliver would love to have someone else besides me to cook for, I’m sure.”

“Sure,” Thea said with a big smile. “That’d be great.”

They talked about their lives for a while, filling each other in on anything new and interesting going on. Then they moved on to popular culture topics and laughed over celebrity gossip. That led to talk about celebrity romances and break ups which lead to Thea grilling Felicity about Oliver.

“Come on, Felicity,” she said, nudging her knee with a pointed finger. “I know you have feelings for my brother.”

“Well, we’ve become really good friends. I wasn’t expecting that…”

“I mean _feelings_. You want to jump his body.”

Felicity blushed. “He is pretty attractive, Thea. But that’s hardly news, those paparazzi pictures of him at the beach last summer still show up online and in the papers now and then. Everyone in this town lusts after him, even the men!”

Thea chuckled but then made a face. “Ugh. Yeah, except me. But my point is, it’s more than just admiring his six-pack. You are falling in love with him.”

“Falling in love with Oliver would be the worst possible decision ever,” Felicity grumbled, taking a drink of her wine.

“Ah ha!” her sister in law crowed, pointing at her triumphantly. “You didn’t deny it.”

“Are we twelve?” she asked, but she could feel her ears burning.

“Listen. I get it. You don’t think he has feelings for _you_ , so you’re protecting your heart but I promise you that he _does_. Anyone with eyes can see it. Well, anyone who isn’t you, apparently.”

Felicity reached out and covered Thea’s hand with her own. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do. You love your brother.”

“I love you too,” she argued. “You’re my sister in law… and we’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Of course we are.”

“I want you _both_ to be happy and I know Oliver has been happier than I’ve seen him in years lately. I think you are too.”

“I am happy. His friendship means a lot to me,” Felicity said.

“But don’t you want more than just friendship? You could both make this marriage a _real_ thing.”

“At the risk of our friendship? No, I don’t.”

Thea sighed. “Not a great confession, as confessions go, but I guess that’s all I’m gonna get from you for now.”

Felicity grinned. “You’re darn right.”

They continued chatting, Felicity refilling her own wine and giving Thea a soda upon request and putting out some popcorn for them to snack on. At one point, Felicity got up to use the restroom and made a few awful discoveries. The first was that her period had arrived a few days before she’d been expecting it. The second was that she had absolutely zero supplies on hand. She dimly recalled putting tampons on her grocery list last week but she must have forgotten.

She called out to Thea, who came to the door and was happy to lend her a tampon from her purse. After Felicity washed her hands, she rejoined Thea back in the living room and gave her a grateful smile.

“Thanks, I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here.”

Thea shrugged. “You could have called Oliver to pick you up some tampons at the store on his way home.”

“No!” Felicity was horrified. “Thea, I could never!”

But she just rolled her eyes. “Oh please, he’d totally do it. For you. All you have to do is ask him and he would do anything for you. That boy is whipped.”

“No, he isn’t.”

“Yes, he is,” Thea insisted. “He likes taking care of the women he cares for. When I was little, he used to braid my hair for dance class. Every Wednesday afternoon. Never complained once, even though he was a teenage boy at the time.”

Felicity’s heart melted a little bit, hearing that.

Thea left shortly after that, leaving Felicity alone. She debated putting some regular clothes on and going to the nearest drugstore to pick up some tampons but really, really didn’t want to. She’d had all that wine and was feeling all warm and fuzzy. There was a bodega around the corner but they charged an arm and a leg for tampons and Felicity couldn’t bring herself to pay that sort of price when a quick trip in the car would have her paying half as much for twice as many tampons. But, honestly, she shouldn’t be driving.

Felicity pulled out her phone and looked at it, chewing her lip. She could ask Oliver to bring her some. As much as she hated the thought… she really needed some, really shouldn’t drive herself and they were friends. This was something friends did for each other, right? Mustering her resolve, Felicity tapped up a quick text to Oliver and was startled when his reply came back nearly instantly.

Felicity squinted at the screen of her phone, unsure how to decipher that “uh, yes” of his. But, feeling encouraged by his quick and ready willingness to help out, she was about to text him again when her phone buzzed with another reply from Oliver.

Wow. So Thea wasn’t kidding. Felicity beamed at her phone, feeling a warm sort of fondness for this man who was her husband. He really _was_ a sweet guy.

Reassured that her shopping needs were being taken care of, Felicity settled back down on the sofa to finish off the popcorn and dive back into her book, waiting for Oliver’s inevitable return.

***

Oliver was enjoying his time with Tommy, he really was. But he kept thinking about Felicity and Tommy eventually noticed his distraction, teasing him about it. That teasing only got worse when Felicity texted him, asking for a favor.

“I can’t believe you’re bailing on me already,” Tommy groaned as Oliver stood up and fished his wallet from his back pocket. “And put that away. When we drink at Verdant, you know the drinks are free.”

“Sorry, Tommy. But Felicity needs me to stop at the store—”

His best friend held up a hand. “Say no more. I’ve gotten the message loud and clear.”

Oliver paused. “And what message is that?”

“That you are completely, 100%, head over heels smitten with the lovely Ms. Smoak.” Tommy grinned. “Well, technically, she’s Mrs. Queen.”

“She’s keeping her maiden name.”

“You two are hopeless, you know that? When are you going to get your head out of your ass and hook up already?”

“Our relationship isn’t like that,” Oliver replied, knowing he didn’t sound convincing even to himself.

“Oh… Oliver. We’ve known each other all our lives and I’ve seen you pull off some impressive whoppers. What ever happened to your skill at lying? Are you completely off your game or is it just when it relates to your feelings for Felicity?”

“Tommy…”

“You haven’t gone home with a girl in months. I haven’t counted but I imagine if I did, it’d be able to trace it back to before you married Felicity. And here tonight, you’ve turned up your nose at every single woman who has approached you or that I’ve pointed out. You may not be willing to admit that this is because of how you feel about your wife, but does Felicity know you’ve taken a new vow of celibacy?”

Oliver shrugged, but it was more of an uneasy shifting of his shoulders than a nonchalant expression. “I mean, she thinks I’ve hooked up with women.”

“You mean, you’ve let her think that.”

“I suppose so. I haven’t corrected her, no.”

“Is it because you think she’s seeing people?”

Oliver felt distinctly uncomfortable all of the sudden. The image that sprang to his mind was utterly distasteful. “Tommy… I really need to get going—”

“Is it?”

“I mean, if she is, she’s within her right to. It’s in our contract and just because I’m not doesn’t mean she can’t.”

“So, that’s a yes,” Tommy declared. “And you’re wrong. She’s not.”

“Now, how would you know that?”

“A magician never reveals his secrets,” he said with a grin and a waggle of his eyebrows. Oliver snorted at the play on his last name of “Merlyn”.

“Listen, how I feel about Felicity is moot because that’s not what our marriage is about. We made an agreement because neither of us wanted a relationship. That’s still very true for her. In the meantime, we’ve become really good friends. I’m not about to jeopardize that just because I might or might not have feelings for her.”

Tommy gave him a skeptical look but then smiled suddenly. “I’ll take that as confirmation of your feelings for her.”

Oliver rolled his eyes. “Take it however you want to take it. Now, I’ve got to get going. We’ll do this again sometime, okay?”

“Yeah, sure. Maybe next time you won’t be mooning over your wife the whole time.”

Oliver ignored that as he walked out of the club and to his car. He’d only had one drink and that was several hours ago. He’d switched to soda a while ago and wasn’t even feeling a buzz any longer.

There was a chain drugstore between Verdant and their apartment so Oliver stopped there. It was late, luckily the store was open 24 hours, but it also meant the store was nearly empty when he went in. Just him, one other shopper, and two employees. One was sitting behind the cash register and the other was taking inventory down the aisles. Oliver quickly located the feminine hygiene products and noticed something. He pulled his phone out and texted Felicity.

Oliver smiled at Felicity’s responses before tucking his phone back in his pocket. But he still thought it was grossly unfair how much these companies were charging for something that women had no choice about needing month in and month out. What a racket.

Grimacing, he selected a brand that looked reputable enough that had enough inside that he felt it should tide her over until she could get to the shop herself. He carried the box up to the cashier and when the young man tried to smirk at him upon seeing what he was purchasing, Oliver gave him a dark look that wiped the expression right off his face.

He paid quickly while the boy put the box in a bag and handed it to him. He thanked him before walking out of the store and heading for his car. Oliver felt a satisfaction as he steered out of the parking lot and headed towards the apartment. He’d just done what many would consider a very domestic errand for his not-wife and it had felt so… right. He liked to be able to do things for her. But more than that, he really liked that she’d felt comfortable enough with him to even ask for the favor in the first place. Their relationship really had come far in the last year.

Oliver pulled into the parking garage at home a few minutes later, hoping they had enough time to watch some Stranger Things before calling it a night.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity deal with some of the more awkward realities of their "vacation" together as they realize just how difficult this week is going to be for the both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm a bit behind in posting this morning because I *had* to take a nap after taking the kids to school. My husband caught the cold I had a couple weeks ago and he snored all night like he had a chainsaw stuck in his throat. Poor guy but also poor me! LOL I did *not* sleep well so the nap was a necessity. 
> 
> I think this chapter is worth having to wait an extra hour... we get to really see what this week is going to be like for these two goofballs. Plus, you get a little bit of payoff by chapter's end. 
> 
> Enjoy!

_Present Day_

Oliver woke up to the same sounds that sent him to sleep the night before… the gentle shushing of the waves outside the open windows of the bungalow. Sun was streaming in, warming the already comfortably warm room. He could feel sweat at the back of his neck and figured it was the heat that ultimately pulled him from slumber. Stretching, he looked across the enormous bed and saw Felicity laying there on her side, facing him.

She was still sleeping. Her one hand was tucked up under her cheek, the other curled on the pillow next to her. Long, black lashes brushed the tops of her cheeks and her lips were a relaxed bow. She looked so peaceful, so soft and contented. He ached to reach out and brush a finger over the curve of her shoulder.

But no sooner had the thought crossed his mind that Felicity stirred, drawing a deep breath and stretching a little. Oliver couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sight and so when her eyes opened, she saw that he was openly staring at her. He felt his face warm.

“Uh, good morning,” he said, clearing his throat. “Did you sleep well?”

She stretched again and rolled onto her back. “Yes, like the dead. I needed that. How about you?”

Oliver tore his eyes away from her. “Yes… it was good,” he said. He did feel rested, which was welcome after the hours and hours of traveling. But the relaxed feeling he’d enjoyed when he first woke up was now completely stolen by the sight of Felicity, the scent of her warm skin and the thoughts that were filling his mind. His body tightened, making him bite back a groan. How was he going to hide his body’s reaction to her?

She eyed him curiously and sat up. “Do you want first dibs on the bathroom?” she asked.

He winced at the thought of getting out of this bed and crossing the room with his growing erection obvious in these sleep pants of his. “No, you go first,” he urged her.

“You sure?”

He nodded, biting his lips.

Of course, the real bitch of the situation was now he had to sit there and watch Felicity climb out of bed and pad across the bungalow, into the bathroom. He had just enough to catch his breath before she came out of the water closet and crossed to the shower, reaching in to turn it on.

Holy shit. She was going to take a shower which meant…

Oliver scrambled out of the bed while she was busy turning the knobs to get the water hot and headed straight for the deck beyond the bedroom. Once outside, he gulped in the fresh air that was already heavy with humidity.

That sealed it; staying here with Felicity this week was going to give him a heart attack.

Glancing down at the front of his sleep pants, Oliver noticed he was still having a… problem. Grimacing, he weighed his options. He could try to will the erection away, think unsexy thoughts and that sort of thing, he could take care of it himself which was risky since who knew if Felicity would look out onto the deck and see him. Because, of course, there was a full length mirror in the shower. Which was why Oliver absolutely could _not_ turn around at the moment. They both might get more of an eyeful than they bargained for.

So yeah. Option #2 wasn’t an option at all. He could take a dive into the ocean, but he didn’t have any trunks to change into and the closet was on the other side of the bathroom. No way in hell was he going through there. And he didn’t want to jump in wearing his sleep pants. Stripping was out of the question. So that ruled out the hot tub too, though what he needed was a _cold_ tub.

Oliver grit his teeth and tried to get his body to calm. It took about ten minutes of thinking about baseball and work and many, many cleansing breaths but finally his dick got the message and he could finally face Felicity again. Not until she was out of the shower, of course. He still wasn’t about to turn around. So he continued to lean on the railing and watch the water for fish swimming by until he heard Felicity call his name.

He turned and saw her wearing another sundress, much like the one from the day before but with a white and pastel motif instead of the black and jewel tones from last night. Her hair was down again and she was letting it dry into curls. She looked like a dream.

“The shower’s yours,” she told him and he noticed her eyes stray to his bare chest. That made him feel a little bit better; at least he wasn’t the only one noticing the other this morning. But the way she bit her lip as she looked had his body threatening to rebel again.

“Thanks,” he murmured, moving to pass her.

“According to the itinerary, we have a couple’s massage in a half an hour,” Felicity told him. “Over at the main clubhouse.”

 _Fuuuuuuuck…_ How had he already forgotten that damned itinerary? 

“You think we could get out of it?” he asked her.

Felicity sighed. “No. You know your sister.”

He did know Thea. The girl was vicious and she’d revisit this upon them tenfold if they dared skip out on her wicked plans. “Fuck,” he mumbled.

“Exactly,” she agreed. “I’m going to head over there now, get a cup of coffee. Meet you there?”

“Yep,” he said.

The door to the bungalow closed and Oliver headed straight for the shower. He was going to have a hell of a time today and it was his little sister’s fault.

***

After the awkward start to the day, Felicity was glad to get out of the bungalow and get a moment without Oliver _right there_. It was nice waking up in that bed with him right there but realization had quickly crashed in. They weren’t like that, it was strange to even be _sharing a bed_ and she should absolutely not be thinking about reaching out to stroke a finger over the muscles on his chest. She’d been so relieved when he insisted on her taking a shower first because it meant she got to escape to the shower.

Of course, the shower was open to the rest of the bungalow but Oliver was apparently aware of that because he’d hung out on the deck while she’d taken her shower. She could see out the window and admire the muscles of his broad back as he stood there, staring out at the water. Honestly, in other circumstances, this whole teeny bungalow situation would be super sexy and romantic. As it was, it was just awkward and nerve-wracking.

So after she got dressed, she made a quick exit and headed straight for the coffee. Coffee made everything better. As she drank that life-giving nectar of the gods, Felicity debated the wisdom of putting in a standard order with room service to deliver coffee to the bungalow each morning so she wouldn’t have to face another awkward morning without it.

Once she had her coffee, she was able to locate the resort spa pretty easily, and found Thea there, along with Roy and another couple she wasn’t familiar with. Thea gave her a hug and introduced her to the other couple, who was her friend from college and her husband. They were apparently the only other married couple present, outside of Oliver’s aunt and uncle and parents both of whom opted out of the couple’s massage.

“Wait, how come they got to opt out?” Felicity wanted to know. “Can Oliver and I—?”

“No,” Thea cut in. “You may not. And speaking of which, where is my brother? Why isn’t he with you?”

“Uh, he was getting his shower,” Felicity replied, hoping she wasn’t blushing too much.

Thea looked disappointed and Felicity had a feeling it was because she wasn’t back at that bungalow being tortured by the sight of her brother taking a shower. Oliver’s sister clearly wasn’t playing around this week and it made her wonder what lengths she might go to in order to push her and Oliver together. Or maybe she didn’t want to know.

“I’m not late, am I?” a voice from behind her said. _Oliver_. Felicity actually felt relieved to him there, she wasn’t quite ready to tackle this week, specifically his sister, without backup.

“Are you ever early?” Thea said with a snort. “Okay, gang, let’s get in there.”

As they walked in, Felicity felt Oliver’s hand at her back. He bent down towards her ear. “Did I miss something?”

“Just your sister freaking me out,” Felicity whispered back.

Oliver’s chuckle was low and quiet, but she heard it and it filled her with a happy sort of warmth.

Thea lead them through the spa to where the massages took place. There was a lobby with a desk and a pleasant looking woman sitting behind it. Thea spoke to her and then the lady came around the desk to assign each of them to massage specialists and a private room.

Oliver and Felicity were the last couple brought back. She was suddenly nervous; she’d never had a massage before and the protocol was unknown to her.

“Relax,” Oliver told her. “This is supposed to be soothing.”

“I know, I just… haven’t ever done this and the unknown scares me.”

That made him chuckle too and seeing his genuine smile helped her relax a little. At least until she was handed a towel by the attendant and told to strip down, _completely_ , and lay face down on the table with the towel over her butt.

“How am I supposed to put the towel over my butt if I’m laying down on my stomach?” she asked.

“I think I’m supposed to do that part for you.”

Felicity looked at Oliver, alarmed. Then she gave him a look. “Then who puts the towel over _your_ butt when you lie down?”

He shrugged. “I could probably handle that part myself.”

“Well, if you can do it, then so can I.”

“Fine.”

They both shuffled around, looking at the massage tables uncertainly. It was a lovely location to be sure, two of four walls open to the beach and jungle beyond. The ocean glittered, the waves crashed and birds called. It was the very definition of tranquil. But at that moment, Felicity felt anything but.

“How do we do this?” Oliver asked, his hands at the waistband of his swim trunks.

Felicity bit her lip. “Uh, how about we both turn around and undress at the same time and then… take turns getting on the table? Like, I get on and get my towel in place and then tell you and you turn around and get on your table?”

“And you’re not gonna peek when you’re getting on your table?” he asked her. There was a teasing glint in his eyes. She rolled her eyes at him.

“I promise, I won’t peek.”

“Alright, let’s do this.”

They each stood to the side of their tables, backs turned, and began to undress. Felicity went quickly, kicking off her sandals, shucking her dress and the bikini (a more conservative cut than the one Dinah had pestered her to pack) that she wore underneath. Her cheeks were burning and before she could catch herself, she glanced back over her shoulder.

Oliver was pulling down his swim trunks, revealing a very toned and firm rear end. Her eyes widened and she whipped her head back around and fanned at her face in an effort to calm the flush that she was sure was coloring her face.

“Okay, I’m ready,” she said.

“So am I,” he said.

“You go first.” She still needed a moment to control herself.

There was a series of rustling noises and Felicity tried desperately not to picture what he was doing, especially what he looked like doing it. She was gnawing her lower lip at this point. Then, the noises ceased but she hadn’t gotten the all clear from him yet.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“Oh! Uh, yeah. I’m in, your turn.”

With her towel at the ready (and place in front of her nether regions rather strategically), She turned around and found Oliver laying face down on his table, the towel placed over his butt and covering him. His face was hidden by the specialized cushion there and he made no move to look her way. Felicity quickly climbed onto her table, laying down on her side and then getting the towel in place. As she rolled fully onto her stomach, she reached back to make sure the towel stayed where it was supposed to and then tried to relax, fitting her face into the cushion. She could see beneath her to the hardwood floorboards.

“You set?” Oliver asked.

“Yep.”

“You want to hit the button or shall I?” he asked.

There was a button on the side of each of the tables that connected to a buzzer in another room, signaling to their masseuses that they were ready.

“You go ahead.”

Their masseuses entered a few minutes later and each introduced themselves. Felicity lifted her head and Oliver did the same and she caught his eye briefly after they greeted the people who would be working the knots and kinks out of their backs. His gaze darted away, almost guiltily, and she noticed the tops of his cheeks had turned red. She glanced down to make sure she wasn’t exposing her chest or anything and she wasn’t so she wasn’t sure what he was acting so bashful about.

Trying to put it out of her mind, she lay her head back down and tried her best to relax. Soothing music played from a speaker while the masseuses got to work. Hers, a lovely woman named Sabine, went right to work on her shoulders, remarking at how tight and stiff they were. That caused Felicity to babble to her about work and work related stress and how bending over a keyboard as much as she does leaves to back and shoulder stiffness.

Oliver stayed quiet, letting his own masseuse (Frederica) work on his back as she saw fit. Felicity had a feeling she was doing this wrong… that a couple’s massage was suppose to be more about the couple rather than two people getting massages and it just happened to be taking place in the same room.

So she stopped talking to Sabine but didn’t know how to _start talking to_ Oliver. So she chewed on her lip until Sabine gave her grief about tensing up. Eventually, the soothing music and the massage lulled her enough so that her mind drifted away, buoyed on the gratification of it all. In fact, she grew so relaxed that a small moan of pleasure escaped her. She bit her lips to hold back more sounds but a moment later she heard… another moan. Deeper in tone, but no less unconscious. And no less erotic to her ears.

Immediately, her brain conjured him saying that under different circumstances. Hands, roving over his body, along the groves and ridges and planes of his muscles, down towards his hips. Hips that look like they’ve been carved out of granite, all leading the eye towards…

Sabine hit a spot that Felicity hadn’t even known was sore, loosening it and that combined with the heady imagery in her mind made Felicity moan again, long and low. The sound was met almost immediately with an answering groan from Oliver and Felicity bit so hard into her lower lip that she tasted the distinct flavor of copper on her tongue. She whimpered softly, unable to fight the arousal that was now pulsing through her body.

Damned massage got to her.

Despite her best efforts to rein it in, a few more moans got out and Oliver wasn’t doing much better at controlling his. After their time was up, Sabine and Frederica both left the room and they each lay on their tables, unsure what to do now.

Finally, Oliver cleared his throat. “Uh, you can get up first, I guess.”

“Okay,” she said softly.

She lifted off the table and pulled the towel around her, keeping it around her as best she could as she padded to where she’d left her sun dress. As she started to pull on her bikini bottoms she called over her shoulder, “You can get up now too, I have my back turned.”

Oliver didn’t reply, but she heard him shuffling around as she pulled her swimsuit top on and reached behind to fasten it. In her bikini, she paused to blow out a breath. She threw her towel aside and stretched her arms over her head, making a little sound. She was still warm and loose from the massage and right then, she wanted to get to the beach and lay out on the hot sand more than she wanted just about anything else.

Felicity picked up her sundress and shrugged it on. She began to do up the buttons that ran up the front when she felt a hand on her arm.

Gasping at the surprise, she whirled around to find Oliver standing there, right in front of her. Her fingers stilled on the buttons as she met his eyes, eyes that were boring into hers.

“Felicity…” he said, his voice low and soft. She noticed he had an expression… she’d never seen this before. His eyes were dark, his cheeks flushed, his lips parted. He looked… aroused. Felicity swallowed and licked her lips, nervous but also feeling that same energy running through her. That massage had… lowered some walls that she hadn’t even realized she’d built between them. Now, with them down… She could admit to herself what she felt when she looked at him… and see how he felt something similar.

“Oliver,” she replied, not sure what she wanted to say. Did she want to push him away? Pull him closer? Her throat was dry and all she could see was the thing ring of blue in his eyes.

He was drawing closer, his head bending towards her and Felicity had the dim realization that he was going to kiss her. And she was going to stand there and let him. No… she was going to participate. She was going to press up on her toes, shortening the distance…

“Knock, knock! You guys decent?” came Thea’s voice. She entered a moment later without waiting for a reply and she and Oliver sprang apart. Felicity turned her back to the door, her fingers flying over the buttons of her dress and doing up the last few.

“Oh… did I interrupt?” Gone was the smirking, confident tone that her sister in law often used.

“It’s fine, Thea,” Oliver replied, his voice gravely.

“I-I’m sorry. I just wanted to see if you were done and what you thought of the massage and… I’ll just go. See you down at the beach?” she said.

“Yes, we’ll be there.”

Felicity bent to put her sandals back on and when she stood up, Oliver stood there, watching her, an inscrutable expression on his face.

“Shall we go?” she said, forcing brightness into her tone.

“Felicity, maybe we should—”

“I don’t know about you, but I am dying to spend some time on that beach today,” she said and then winced when she met his eyes. “We can… talk later?”

Oliver blew out a breath but nodded. “Okay, sure.”

They walked down to the sand together, but not speaking. Felicity spotted Thea and Roy and the others quickly; she had commandeered a cabana and a whole platoon of lounge chairs and as soon as they were spotted, she waved them over.

As Felicity was arranging her towel on her chair, Thea came over and touched her elbow to get her attention. “I’m sorry for interrupting before,” she said.

“It’s okay, Thea, you didn’t interrupt anything.”

Thea looked like she wanted to argue but bit her tongue. She glanced at Oliver, who was setting up his own towel on his lounger next to Felicity and gestured him over.

“What’s up, Speedy?” he asked.

“I was just talking to mom,” she said and Felicity looked past Thea to see where Moira and Robert were sitting on loungers, each reading books and sipping drinks. “And she told me that she’s pretty suspicious of you two and your relationship.”

“I think that’s been pretty obvious,” Felicity said.

“It has,” Thea replied. “But this is more. She thinks… that Felicity is scamming you, Oliver. That there’s this ploy to get money out of you or put QC out of business or get control of QC… I don’t know. Honestly, I had a hard time following what she was saying. But she doesn’t believe that this marriage is legit and she told me that she was keeping an eye on you both this week, but Felicity in particular. And if she’s not convinced, she’s going to hire a private investigator when we get home.”

A lead brick seemed to lodge itself in her stomach and Felicity sank onto her chair. “Oh, frack.”

“Can’t I just talk to mom, tell her that she’s wrong?” Oliver said.

“She asked me not to tell you what she was thinking,” Thea admitted. “And she’s worried about you. She thinks you’re going to be hurt by this, that you have feelings for her that aren’t returned.”

Oliver exchanged a frustrated look with Felicity. “So what do we do?” she asked.

Thea shrugged. “I don’t know. But if I had to guess, I’d say you should step up your game. We have a family dinner tonight, _just_ the family. I would suggest you guys get ready to put on a show and pretend like you’re madly in love.”

Felicity watched her sister in law return to her own lounger with that same lead brick residing in her gut. What sort of display would she and Oliver have to give Moira Queen in order to get her to back off? And where was the line here? Had they already crossed it? It used to be so clear, the line between platonic arrangement and falling for her fake husband but now Felicity wasn’t so sure. She wasn’t sure at all.

***

The sun was starting to dip towards the ocean when Oliver and Felicity returned to their bungalow. He couldn’t help but admire the bronzed glow of Felicity’s skin as she walked ahead of him along the docking to their door. She looked sun-kissed, wind blown and relaxed. As she opened the door to their bungalow, Oliver replayed the moment she’d slipped her sundress off back down on the beach.

Her swimsuit had been simple, a blue bikini that was probably the least provocative swimsuit on the whole beach. But he’d been captivated, seeing her curves like that. And his imagination had been caught, wondering what it might be like to pull on the tie behind her neck, to loosen the cups from around her breasts, freeing them to the warm tropical breeze and to his hungry gaze…

His thoughts were interrupted by the realization that Felicity was standing there, watching him expectantly. She had her arms crossed over her chest, her hip cocked and a slightly impatient expression on her face.

“I’m sorry, did you say something?” he asked, hoping he looked innocent enough and that the evidence of the thoughts he’d just been entertaining weren’t written all over his face.

“Yes, I did. And I called your name like three times. Daydreaming, Oliver?” she asked, looking more amused than annoyed now.

“Sorry, just some thoughts…” He paused and cleared his throat. “What were you saying?”

“I was asking you what you thought our game plan should be for dinner tonight.”

Oliver shrugged. “I’m not sure. We’ll have to sit next to each other, I think. Touch more, for sure.”

“Maybe some heart eyes?” she supplied.

“What the heck are ‘heart eyes’?” he asked.

“You know,” she said. And then she blinked a few times before looking up at him. Her eyes were wide and took on an almost dreamy quality. Oliver’s mouth went dry. It was the way she’d looked him back at the spa, after the massage. Then, she blinked and looked away, shrugging a little as though she was embarrassed. “Like that.”

“Oh.” Now that she was looking away, acting awkward, Oliver realized he really wanted her to look at him like that again.

“It’s just an idea,” she said, her cheeks pink.

“It’s a good idea,” he assured her.

“Anything else we can do?”

“Maybe we should kiss,” he blurted.

She looked up at him sharply and blinked. “We should?”

He nodded, licking his lips. “I mean, we should do it in front of my family more, starting tonight.”

“Oh…” Felicity looked thoughtful. “Yeah, that might help, huh?”

“Yes… and, just in case it’s awkward, we should… you know.Practice.”

“Practice?”

“So it doesn’t look awkward,” he explained. “It needs to look like it’s something we’ve done thousands of times before. So we should practice until it feels, you know… natural.”

Felicity’s eyes got wide. He watched as she swallowed and, then, slowly nodded. “Y-yeah, you’re probably right…”

He was already standing right in front of her so he began to dip his head down towards hers and she suddenly backed away.

“Wait, wait…”

“Felicity, we need to do this.”

“Maybe I should brush my teeth first.”

Oliver sighed. “Okay, fine. If that’ll make you feel better.”

He watched as she darted into the bathroom. He debated doing the same, brushing his teeth, but settled for checking his breath. He was good to go but her display of nerves was ramping up his own and he could feel his palms start to sweat.

When the hell was the last time he was nervous to kiss a girl?

Felicity emerged a few moments later and it made him feel slightly better to see that she looked every bit as nervous as he felt. He wiped his hands on his swim trunks as she approached.

“Why are we so nervous?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, huffing a laugh. “I was just wondering that myself.”

“We’re good friends, aren’t we? We can do this. It’s just a kiss, we know the game here. We know, you know, this is just for show.”

Oliver cleared his throat. “Exactly.”

The tension between them was ridiculous and Oliver knew it wasn’t going to improve until they got this over with. So, with a quick prayer that this wouldn’t destroy their friendship, he reached down and cupped her face in his hands while leaning down towards her. Felicity got the message and lifted up on her toes to meet him and their lips met.

It was just a simple press of the lips and both of them were so tense… but when he felt the softness of her lips underneath his and her scent filled his nose, Oliver instantly wanted more. He drew back but kept her face in his hands. He regarded her for a moment, until her eyes fluttered open.

She said nothing, but her eyes were dark and focused on his lips before darting up to meet his gaze. The moment seemed to stretch forever, but was only a few seconds. That was as long as it took Oliver to realize he wanted to kiss her again. Immediately.

And so he did. He moved quicker this time, swooping down and capturing her lips with his. And this time, he wasn’t content to just kiss her chastely. No, he wanted a _taste_. He moved his lips over, slanting them and drawing his tongue over her lower lip. She tasted of sea salt and sunshine.

Felicity made the sweetest little whimpering sound before her lips opened under his. Oliver wasted no time in sweeping his tongue into her mouth, aching for more of her flavor. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her tight against him and he could feel her heart thundering against his own. Her hands were in his hair, holding him as he kissed her deeply, sliding his tongue along hers, making her moan.

He chased the sound, wanting to draw another just like it out of her. He kissed her deeply and she gave back just as good as she got. Responsive, soft and sweet… a combination he actually hadn’t had much experience with. Most women wanted something from him and were either lacking the sweet or the responsive… and a few lacked the soft.

Finally, they broke apart and Felicity leaned against him, breathing hard. Her forehead was pressed to his chest, hiding her face from his view so he couldn’t judge what she was thinking. He rubbed his hands over her shoulders, struggling to regain his own splintered equilibrium. What the heck was _that_? That was no mere kiss… that was something more than just a _kiss_.

Felicity stepped back and Oliver followed suit. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, unsure what else to do and not wanting to overstep and reach out for her again, like everything in him was screaming for him to do. Felicity looked flustered as well, her fingers tangling together and her looking everywhere but at him.

“Uh… so that happened,” she said at last, laughing nervously.

“It did,” he agreed. “I’d say we’re both pretty good at that, what do you think?”

“Uhm, _yeah_. No complaints here.”

“No need to… practice?”

She looked at him then and he could see the conflict in her expression. He was conflicted too. In fact, if he didn’t get some distance between them as soon as possible, it was entirely possible that he’d launch himself at her again.

“No, I think we’re good,” he told her. “I, uh, should probably get a shower before dinner. Wash off all that sunscreen and sand and ocean.”

“Oh! Okay… uh… I don’t think I’ve had my full quota of sun for the day so I’ll go lay out on the deck while I wait for my turn.”

“Sounds like a plan.” He smiled at her and he hoped it didn’t look as forced as it felt.

She smiled back and nodded before ducking out onto the deck. Oliver blew out a breath and headed for the shower, making sure to gather his clothes for dinner on his way there. Well. That wasn’t awkward _at all_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case some of you have forgotten, my update schedule is every Wednesday! I'll be back next Wednesday with another chapter for you all to enjoy.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity attempt to adjust to the new level of intimacy in their relationship but the denial game is strong with these two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another week, another Wednesday! My kids are on spring break this week and next so it feels like a vacation to me. I'm loving every minute I'm not spending sitting in the car out in front of their school(s). But I have GOOD NEWS: I have officially finished writing this story. I put the finishing touches on chapter 16 last week. I really hope you guys are enjoying the rest of this journey... there's some interesting times coming up! 
> 
> Also, this fic just crossed the 1k Kudos mark and I'm beyond thrilled and humbled that you guys like this story of mine. THANK YOU so much for reading and commenting and kudos'ing... it means the world to me. We're officially at the "half way" part, so there's a lot behind us but also a LOT MORE to come!

Dinner was a more casual affair than it’d been the night before. It was just the family, which meant Oliver, Felicity, Thea, Roy, Oliver’s parents, and his aunt and uncle and their two children, who were both teenagers. While it was nice to have less people to worry about, what was less nice was that the people she had to worry about most were right here in this private dining room that Thea had reserved. Namely: Oliver’s mother.

Moira’s eyes were on them the instant they walked into the room, ushered by a helpful seating hostess at the restaurant. Actually, no. Moira’s eyes were on _her_. She was talking to Oliver’s aunt, smiling and casual but the instant she noticed them arrive, her eyes were trained right on her, surveying her. Watching her. Felicity felt a chill chase up her spine.

Okay, Felicity was probably being a little too dramatic about it. Oliver’s mother was going to put a hit out on her, she was pretty sure at least. But there was no denying that she felt he pressure to make the perfect impression tonight.

So, Felicity cuddled right up to Oliver’s side, wrapping an arm around his waist. Without even hesitating, he put his arm around her shoulder and leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head. Felicity noticed Moira’s eyes narrow slightly. Did that mean she wasn’t buying it?

Thea came over at that moment and distracted them both but Felicity kept her arm around Oliver. And he kept his around her. And Felicity found that she rather liked it, having him close like that. It was pretty easy to slip into the masquerade with him.

Everything went really well too, up until their plates were cleared and dessert was served. The waitress was just setting Felicity’s mousse in front of her when Moira turned her attention on her.

“Felicity, I don’t feel like we’ve had a good chance to get to know one another since you and Oliver have been married,” she said. “I hardly know anything about you.”

“Is that true?” Oliver’s aunt Margaret asked, turning wide eyes on her. “But… surely you’ve had family dinners and such, right?”

“No, we haven’t. Just a few minutes here and there at charity functions. But in the six months they’ve been married, I don’t think they’ve ever been to the house, at least not when we’ve been there.”

 _Shit_. Felicity looked to Oliver, hoping he could read the panic in her eyes. He reached for her hand underneath the tablecloth and squeezed it.

“We’ve all been busy, mother,” he said. “You know that. How often have you and dad been home the last year, anyhow?”

“That’s true,” Robert chimed in. “It feels like no sooner do we get home and unpacked from one trip, then we’re packing up and leaving on another. No one told me that retirement was going to be so hectic.”

“Well, you’re all here together now. You can get to know each other this week,” Aunt Margaret suggested. Her husband, Uncle Matthew, just grunted in agreement.

Felicity thought that sounded awful, especially when she saw the way Moira eyed her shrewdly. “Yes, that’s true,” her mother-in-law said. “Felicity, do please fill in the gaps. Where do you come from? Who are your parents?”

It felt like there was a spotlight focused right on her with the way everyone’s faces turned in her direction. Oliver squeezed her hand again and she recognized that as him lending her his support. She appreciated it more than she could say.

“My mother is Donna Smoak,” she said, notching her chin up a bit. “She lives in Las Vegas, where I grew up, and works… in hospitality.”

“And your father?” Moira pressed.

“He left when I was very young. He wasn’t in the picture. But my mother was able to raise me just fine.”

“I see,” Oliver’s mother said. “I’m sorry to hear that, stability in a family is very important.”

Felicity couldn’t be sure, but that statement felt like a bit of a jab. She shifted in her seat before saying. “Like I said, I think it all turned out fine. My mother worked hard to support me and I appreciate every sacrifice she made.”

His mother hummed and it felt like a dismissive sound to her. “Oliver mentioned you graduated from MIT. Surely, the tuition there was more than someone who works in… _hospitality_ can afford?”

Felicity felt her cheeks burning but in that moment she couldn’t pick out whether it was in embarrassment or anger. Maybe both. “I won a full ride scholarship to MIT and I worked on campus every year I was there. I attended early, at 16 and graduated with dual masters when I was 19 years old.”

Okay, so she was feeling at least a little angry.

Oliver squeezed her hand again and that contact helped ground her and remind here where she was. Unfortunately, it also reminded that there was a table full of people staring at her at the moment.

“Well,” Moira huffed. “There’s no call for that tone, I don’t think. I just asked a simple question.”

Felicity opened her mouth to fire back but Oliver beat her to it. “Mother, if anyone is being rude here, it’s you. These don’t seem like personal questions but more like a personal attack and it’s a sensitive topic for Felicity. You could tell that so you kept pressing. You can hardly blame her for defending herself and I’d rather you didn’t speak to my wife like that, upsetting her.”

His mother’s eyebrows shot up and for once, Felicity understood how the woman felt because she was just as surprised by Oliver’s vehement defense. The entire table was silent, staring at the three of them in turn. She couldn’t even feel embarrassed because she was so floored by Oliver’s adamant defense of her.

Moira’s cheeks colored slightly as she looked down and cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any offense.”

And that was it. Conversation at the table resumed talking about other things, namely what the plans for the rest of the week were. Felicity could hardly pay attention because all she could think about was Oliver speaking up for her. To his _mother_. As she was finishing up her dessert, Felicity caught Thea’s eye across the able and the younger woman winked at her, smiling.

It felt good to have people on her side, standing beside her. Frankly, it wasn’t something she was used to in her life.

The dinner party started to break up not too long after that. Oliver held out a hand to help Felicity out of her chair and as she stood, he leaned down towards his ear. “Maybe you and I should give my parents a little show. You know, since we practiced and all.”

He pulled back and she saw his smile but she also knew it was a good idea. They _had_ practiced and, especially after Oliver’s galant display over dessert, it would go a long way towards selling the image of them as a happy, loving couple. She nodded at him and smiled to let him know that she was comfortable.

Or as comfortable as she could be. Because kissing him back in the bungalow? Had knocked her senses for a loop. But Felicity was determined to keep a hold of herself here, in front of an audience.

Everyone was standing around, saying their goodbyes and not really paying specific attention to them. That was about to change. Felicity wound an arm around his neck as he wrapped one of his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. She ignored the way her body immediately responded to the nearness of his, the way she could feel herself softening against him. Instead, she pushed up on her toes to meet his head bending towards hers.

Their lips met. It occurred to her in a instant that they hadn’t discussed tongue versus no tongue and so she decided to follow his lead. He kept his lips closed, even as he pressed his lips more firmly against hers, slanting his head slightly. The kiss was chaste but somehow every bit as absorbing as the one they’d first shared back at the bungalow. His nearness and the feel of his lips on hers became all that she knew and her fingers dug into his shoulder, gripping his shirt.

Oliver drew back slowly, letting his forehead rest against hers for a long moment. His eyes were still closed as hers fluttered open and she could see the color on his cheeks, his parted lips, puffing breaths of air against her own lips. Then, his eyes opened and he stepped back, leaving Felicity feeling the absence of his arms and breath.

She looked around to see Moira had indeed caught the “show”. Robert was leaning down to whisper in her ear and Felicity tore her eyes away and focused on Oliver, who was holding his hand out to her. She took it, smiling back at him.

“We’re gonna head back to our bungalow,” Oliver said, addressing everyone else. “See you all tomorrow.”

“If the bungalow’s a-rockin’, don’t come a-knockin’!” Thea called after them and Felicity fought a wince as they left the room together.

Oliver chuckled and bumped his shoulder against hers as they walked down the beach towards the docks that lead to the bungalows.

“Your sister is a menace,” she told him. There was no heat to her words though. Felicity had grown to really like Thea over the last several months and while she definitely a bit aggrieved at the younger woman’s shenanigans this week, they were mostly harmless and the by-product of someone who was happy and in love and wanting to share that. So Felicity couldn’t really fault her, even though she didn’t share the same ideology.

“She is,” Oliver agreed. “We’ll definitely have to find some way to get back at her some day.”

Felicity hummed, already enjoying the prospect. “I can’t wait.”

The moon was already up in the sky, shining down on the beach and the gentle waves that were lapping up against the white sand. The air was sweet and warm, the breeze just ruffling the hem of her dress but not cooling her skin at all. She reached out and took Oliver’s hand, which she’d dropped when they left the restaurant.

He looked down at their joined hands. “What’s that for?”

She swung their hands between them. “I’m feeling pretty fond of you right now,” she said.

“Oh?” His tone turned teasing.

“You defended me to your mother, Oliver. That’s… a big deal for me.”

“Felicity…” He stopped and pulled on her hand, making her stop next to him. He turned to face her and she followed his lead. “I couldn’t just sit there and let her make you feel bad without saying something.”

“That’s what I’m saying, though,” Felicity said. “She’s your mother. And I’m just—”

“Hey, you’re not _just_ anything, Felicity.”

The look he was giving her made her heart thud in her chest. Felicity bit her lip out of reflex and noticed how his gaze sharpened.

“Oh,” was all she could say and even then it came out as more of a breath than an actual word.

“And you’re welcome,” he said, his voice soft. “I’d do it again, as often as I need to.”

On an impulse, Felicity pushed up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his scruffed cheek. “You’re the best fake husband a girl could ask for.”

***

The next morning was much less awkward than the previous one. That wasn’t to say there wasn’t any tension, because there was. But it was a delicious sort of tension, full of expectation and anticipation. Of course, it helped that he hadn’t woken up wrapped around Felicity.

But after the previous night, things between them felt more comfortable. Sticking up for Felicity to his mother had felt natural and even more than that, it felt like something he had to do. He didn’t like seeing his mom pick away at Felicity’s insecurities like that, whittling down her confidence in front of a table full of their family. Moira Queen had always been ruthless, a quality which always served her well in the cutthroat world of the Starling City elite, but there was no call for it with his wife.

 _His wife_. Regardless of the actual nature of their relationship, Felicity was still his wife and Oliver found the urge to protect her was undeniable. Even from his own mother.

Felicity woke up before him that morning, which might have helped make things easier. When he finally roused, with the sun already beaming into the bungalow, Felicity was arranging a tray from room service on the table out on the deck. There was coffee and danishes and bagels and Oliver’s stomach had growled immediately.

Together, they sat on the deck, enjoying the morning breeze and the sustenance and each other’s company. Felicity was in good spirits, telling him about a crazy dream she’d had about a sand crab and a baby sea turtle.

“Don’t forget,” she told him as she finished off her bagel, “we have dance lessons right after lunch.”

“Ugh,” Oliver groaned, setting his empty coffee cup aside. “Don’t remind me.”

“I don’t see why you hate dancing so much, you’re quite good at it.”

Her wink made him wonder if she was pulling his leg or not.

“What should we do until the lessons?” he asked.

Felicity shrugged. “Maybe more beach time?” she suggested.

A vision of her laying out on the sand, her skin on display, filled his mind and Oliver smiled. “Yeah, that sounds good to me. Did you want the shower first?”

“Nah, you go. I’m gonna have another cup of coffee and read a bit more of that book I brought with me.” When she saw him hesitating, she grinned. “Don’t worry, I won’t peek.”

Oliver just knew his cheeks were flaming as he got up and moved into the bungalow to take his shower.

They both managed to get their showers done, bathing suits on and headed to the beach without any major awkwardness, which, the day before he hadn’t thought was possible. There were a few more wedding guests on the beach but they stuck to themselves this time, ordering a couple drinks from the bar and settling on their chairs, ready to soak up the rays. Oliver’s hands didn’t even shake when he helped Felicity apply the sunscreen to her back, which he thought was pretty impressive.

Maybe he was getting over this crush after all.

An hour or two later, it was time to head to the dance lessons. Felicity slipped a sundress on over her bikini, a frothy, filmy and practically see-through white confection that made his mouth go dry to look at it (nope, crush still very much _on_ ). Oliver put on a short sleeved button down and remained in his swim trunks. They looked nearly like cargo shorts anyhow.

When they arrived at the open-air ballroom on the other side of the resort, they found Thea, Roy and assorted other wedding guests assembled there. As soon as she saw them, Thea greeted them enthusiastically.

“Dinner last night,” she said in a conspiratorial tone, “that was some show you guys gave everyone before you left. Mom would never admit it but I think you surprised her.”

Felicity barely hid a snort while Oliver rolled his eyes. “Thea, you know I don’t dance,” he said, ignoring the reference to the kiss from last night.

Thea just gave him a deadpan look. “Why do you think I wanted to include it in the itinerary and made sure to include you?”

Felicity looked puzzled. “You danced with me at that one gala.”

“That was a special circumstance,” he said. “My mother was watching.”

“And what do you think she’s doing right now?” Thea asked, dipping her head in the direction of their mother. Oliver sighed.

“I thought you danced just fine,” Felicity said. “This’ll be a piece of cake.”

“That was swaying, Felicity,” he told her. “There’s a difference.”

She looked a little alarmed. “Why, what sort of dancing is _this_?”

Thea just looked smug and she wiggled her eyebrows before walking away, back to Roy’s side. The dance instructor entered just then, a lovely but stern looking woman who welcomed them to their “introduction to salsa” class.

Things did not improve from there.

Oliver always considered himself a fairly well-coordinated man, who never tripped over his own feet and actually could move with quickness and grace when the situation called for it. But this dance was calling all of that into question. The only thing that kept him going was that Felicity seemed to be having just as much difficulty with it as he was.

Normally, he would have grown irritated and frustrated at feeling foolish and exposed like that. But Felicity’s laughter at him and herself lifted something in him. With her, it was more about embracing the silliness and the foolishness and, yes, maybe he purposefully would fumble just so he could see her smile and listen to her laugh again.

Plus, he got to hold her in his arms. It was a sweltering day, overcast and stifling with the humidity pressing in on them oppressively. So everyone was coated in a sheen of sweat, regardless if they were moving or not. Fans blew on them, cooling their sweat some but the heady heat still enveloped them like a second skin. As they moved together (and fumbled the moves together), Oliver found himself distracted by the sweat he could see standing out on Felicity’s upper lip. There was something utterly absorbing about it and he had a difficult time looking away.

By the time the lesson was over, they were both fairly drenched. Felicity’s white sundress stuck to her curves enticingly, giving him a glimpse at the bikini she wore underneath. Oliver could feel his own shirt sticking to his back and suspected that was a less enticing image but he also caught Felicity’s eyes on him as she mopped at her neck with a small towel.

His smirk was short lived, however, since he turned around to find Thea standing behind him and looking particularly smug. Oliver narrowed his eyes at her, immediately suspicious.

“What?”

“I saw you guys,” she said in a sing-song voice. “You were flirting so much, I’m surprised you didn’t set this place on fire.”

“Thea, knock it off.”

“I’m serious! All that laughing and hanging on each other and the _looks_ , oh my _god_. I think I need to go cool off. Or drag Roy back to our bungalow…”

“Ew, Thea, please. I don’t need to think about that,” he grumbled.

“I’m not the only one who noticed, you know,” she said and gestured towards their parents. His mother was watching Felicity and her expression was more considering, less suspicious.

“We weren’t even trying to put on a show,” he admitted.

Thea looked impressed. “You weren’t? You mean that was just… you two acting natural?”

Oliver rolled his shoulders, feeling a little uncomfortable with the way she was watching him. “No…?”

“Damn,” she said lowly. “You two have it worse than I thought.”

“Thea…”

“Deny it all you like, big brother, you two are headed on a collision course.” She waggled her fingers at him before sauntering back to Roy’s side.

Oliver blew out a breath. He wasn’t sure which was worse, his mother being suspicious or Thea being so all-knowing about his relationship with Felicity. He decided that what it amounted to was being in his own special hell. Who knew hell looked like a tropical island?

He joined Felicity and they agreed to head back to the bungalow and order some lunch from room service. As they left the dance pavilion, Felicity slipped her hand in his, almost as though she hadn’t even thought about it beforehand. She was talking to him about the lesson, recounting her favorite moments in an enthusiastic voice and Oliver found that he enjoyed listening to her and feeling her hand in his as they walked together through the trees back towards the bungalows.

This was friendly, right? They could be just friends. They had been for several months now, even if they hadn’t ever really talked about it. That could be enough for him, Oliver told himself. It’d have to be enough.

***

After lunch, Felicity was feeling sleepy so she told him she was going to stay in and take a nap, rest up for the evening ahead. Oliver was supposed to go jet skiing with the guys though he really would have rather crawled into that bed with her. She shooed him out though, saying she wouldn’t be able to rest with him hanging around, distracting her. Oliver wasn’t sure how to interpret that, especially when she gave him a wink before reclining back onto the pillows.

It sure gave him something to think about as he walked towards the boat launch and docks, where the jet skis were all set up and where Roy and the other guys were meeting up.

“Hey, there’s loverboy!” Tommy called out as Oliver approached. The other guys chuckled. It was him, Roy and his cousin, Reese, who was 17 years old and clearly happy to be included with the older guys on this adventure.

“Aw, go easy on him,” Roy said, grinning. “He’s gotta be feeling damned frustrated by now.”

“Shh!” Oliver said, glancing quickly at Reese who looked somewhat confused.

“Why would he be frustrated?” he asked.

“Uhhhh,” Roy said, scratching at the back of his head. Oliver rolled his eyes.

“That’s for you to find out some day,” Tommy said, giving the poor kid a wink.

“Is it about sex?” Reese asked. “Because I’ve had sex, I’m not ten.”

Tommy blinked. “How old are you again?”

“Tommy, he’s seventeen,” Oliver said impatiently, considering what the two of them had gotten up to by the time they were seventeen. “Now, are we going to do this or not?”

“Alright, don’t get your trunks in a wad,” Roy muttered. “Right this way. I have the machines rented and ready to go. You all know how to operate them?”

They all nodded, even Reese.

“Lighten up, Oliver. Just cuz you’re feeling antsy doesn’t mean you should take it out on everyone around you,” Tommy said, clapping him on the back as they walked down the dock to where the machines were waiting for them.

“Right now, Reese is acting more mature than you,” Oliver replied.

Reese looked as though he wasn’t sure if he should be annoyed or pleased at that. Roy just shook his head and redirected their attention towards the machines.

Once they got out on the water, Oliver felt his blood pressure start to even out, his nerves relax and any restlessness he was suffering finally had an outlet. He chased his friends over the waves and they called out friendly insults to one another as they zoomed around the bay. It was a great distraction for him.

At one point, they took a break by taking the machines to a floating bar out in the middle of the bay. Reese ordered a soda, but the rest of them had a beer while they sat on the jet skis and enjoyed the sun.

They didn’t return to the dock until the sun was just touching the horizon to the west of them. Oliver was sore from the vibrations of the engine and maneuvering that enormous machine around all afternoon but it felt good. He walked back towards the bungalows with Tommy while Roy hung back to talk to Reese and get to know him better.

“Sorry about earlier,” Tommy said. “I know I teased you pretty hard about Felicity.”

“Wouldn’t be you if you didn’t,” Oliver remarked.

“True. But I know this is a tenuous situation. You probably could use my advice more than you could use my teasing.”

“Tommy Merlyn, renowned bachelor, has advice for me? This I gotta hear.”

“Yeah, I do. I think you need to be careful about waiting too long with Felicity.”

Oliver furrowed his brow as he looked sideways towards his friend. “What do you mean ‘wait too long’? Wait for what?”

“To make your move,” Tommy said, rolling his eyes. “Honestly, I have no idea why you haven’t already.”

“I’m not waiting to make a move, Tommy. There is no move to make.”

His friend looked exasperated. “Come on. I know you have feelings for her.”

“Of course. She and I have become good friends and I don’t see why that can’t continue.”

Tommy stopped under the overhang of a palm tree and Oliver did as well, watching as Roy and Reese walked past. He waved at them as they continued towards the bungalows.

“I do not mean _friend_ feelings and you damn well know it,” Tommy said. “I’m not an idiot and I see the way you look at each other. But what’s going to happen is she’s going to keep thinking all you want is to be friends. So when she gets tired of this ‘playing marriage’ nonsense and starts wanting a real marriage, if she can’t get it with you, she’ll find it with someone else. And then you’ll lose her for good.”

Tommy’s words hit his chest with a pang and Oliver had to take a breath to steady himself. He hadn’t considered it until that moment, the idea had never once crossed his mind, but the thought of her find someone else, falling in love and divorcing him to get married… that disturbed him. But then he remembered why the two of them had gotten married in the first place and relaxed a little.

“Tommy, that won’t happen. When I suggested she and I get married, we both agreed that neither of us was interested in a real marriage with anyone. Neither of us have the time for that sort of relationship.”

His friend gave him a pitying look that had Oliver feeling distinctly uncomfortable. “And you think that’ll continue to be the case. For as long as you want it to be, for five years? Ten? Twenty? You don’t think somewhere along the line, Felicity might happen to meet someone besides you that she really connects with? You are just… what… _guessing_ that she’ll never have the urge to have children?”

“And you’re _guessing_ that she will. Maybe she won’t! She said she wasn’t interested in that, Tommy.”

“Did she say that specifically? That she wasn’t interested in a real marriage? Besides, what about _you_?” he asked softly.

Oliver bit the inside of his cheek. No, Felicity hadn’t said that very thing specifically. She’d said she didn’t have time to find someone to date long enough to consider marriage. But he’d always had the impression that she didn’t have time for marriage _period_. So that point still stood. Himself, on the other hand…

“I don’t want to have a real marriage either,” Oliver insisted.

“Maybe right now, which I rather doubt but let’s go with it. But will you feel the same way years down the road?”

He wanted badly to say that he would. But he also knew there was no way to say that with any certainty and Tommy knew it. “Maybe I’ll find someone else that I’ll want to marry.”

“Maybe you will,” Tommy allowed. “But don’t you want that person to be Felicity?”

“We’re friends—” he insisted and Tommy cut him off, raising his hand in the air.

“I’ve known you since we were five years old, Oliver Queen. We’ve told each other everything all our lives, from our first boners to our biggest fears to our wildest dreams. Please don’t lie to me now.”

Tommy was watching him with serious eyes. He didn’t always get so serious; Tommy was known as the life of the party to many people and he enjoyed cultivating that image for himself. But Oliver knew the real Tommy Merlyn and he knew that those still waters ran deep. When his friend loved, it was real and true and loyal. Much like himself, though he would have been loathe to admit it to anyone. Anyone besides Tommy, that is. It was true, they’d always shared everything with each other.

“You want me to admit that I’m falling in love with her?” Oliver said, feeling exposed and vulnerable. “Fine. I am. Happy now?”

Tommy’s eyes went wide. “Thrilled. Though I’d quibble that you _have_ fallen in love with her already. But I’ll take what I can get with you, Mr. Emotionally Constipated.”

“Tommy…”

“Why don’t you just… talk to her. Felicity won’t bite. You know, unless you’re into that sort of thing these days.”

“I can’t.”

His friend looked exasperated. “Why the hell not?”

“She’s not interested. She doesn’t… feel that way about me. And I refuse to make her feel uncomfortable by spilling my own feelings all over her when she doesn’t return them.”

Tommy made a face. “You don’t think she has feelings for you.”

“That’s right.”

“Are you _blind_?”

“Listen. I know her better than any of you. We get along great and she likes having me as a friend. But if she wanted more, I think she’d tell me.”

“And I think you’re wrong.”

“Agree to disagree.”

“You are a stubborn ass, Oliver,” Tommy told him, shaking his head ruefully.

“I love you, too,” he grumbled back.

They resumed their walk back to the bungalows and Oliver mulled over what Tommy had said and what he’d finally admitted to him (and to himself). His friend seemed so certain that Felicity had feelings for him too but Oliver just couldn’t be sure of that. Sure, she was attracted to him. But it was rare to find a woman who wasn’t and that was a fact that Oliver had been well acquainted with since he was a teenager. But attraction wasn’t love.

Oliver couldn’t fall into bed with Felicity, he couldn’t jeopardize their arrangement, their _friendship_ , on that. He’d lose her forever because he did have feelings and he wouldn’t be able to hide it. Sleeping with her would ruin everything.

And since talking to her about how he felt was just as fraught with peril, Oliver just had to keep his feelings to him. Better to be friends and still have her in his life than give it all up for one night of physical love.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thea has one last couple's event in store for our pair before the precursor to the big event is upon them: the rehearsal dinner!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another week, another update! As always, a huge thanks to those of you who are following along and leaving me encouragement, be it by comment or kudos or reblogs or retweets or likes or whatever... I see every single one and it means more to me than you know. 
> 
> This is a slower burn than I've probably ever written. I'm not really good at holding out on the "good stuff", as some of you probably already know. ;) But it was fun to write it this way and I will confirm that things are getting closer to a boiling point. ESPECIALLY with the events of this chapter. I hope you enjoy. ;)

The sun was just beneath the ocean on the horizon and the sky was a riot of colors; oranges and hot pinks and purples and blues… It was breathtaking. A breeze ruffled through Felicity’s hair, lifting the strands off her shoulders which were shiny with sweat and it felt like heaven. Oliver held her hand as they walked down the beach towards the place Thea had told them to meet her and Roy at.

“Did she say what the activity was?” Oliver asked. He’d woken her when he got back from jet skiing a little bit ago. Well, actually… he woke her after he took a shower. Which means she was laying there in the bed while he was in the shower… probably sans clothes. And she slept through it. She sorta wanted to kick herself.

But not really. Nope. Not going there.

“No, but I think it might be something with horses,” Felicity answered. “She asked if I was scared of them. I said I hadn’t been around very many.”

He hummed. “Sounds like horseback riding. It’s sunset, it’s the beach… this is very much her matchmaking style.”

She lifted her brows. “Is that what she’s doing with this? Matchmaking?”

Oliver looked a little surprised and the corner of his mouth lifted in a half smile. “You doubt it? After everything else so far this week?”

“I mean, I just thought she was trying to aggravate us,” she said. Oliver looked away when she said that and his expression was hidden from her as he looked out at the ocean.

“I’m sure that’s a bonus,” he said. “But I’m quite sure her primary intention is to play matchmaker.”

“That’s silly. We’re already married.” Felicity kicked at a clod of sand, feeling satisfied at watching it disintegrate. Of course, she knew what he meant. And what Thea meant. She wasn’t obtuse. But she always got a little awkward when trying to avoid embarrassment. Oliver didn’t want to be thrust together with her, romantically, so Felicity figured her best option was to deflect.

“I keep telling her that, but she doesn’t seem to get the message,” Oliver said, bumping her shoulder with his.

As they neared the location, Felicity saw that it was, in fact, horseback riding. Several resort staff members stood, holding the reins of four beautiful horses. Thea and Roy were talking to one of them and waved when they saw them approaching. Felicity watched the horses, swallowing nervously as they got nearer and the horses seemed to get _bigger_. In fact, as she stopped next to one of them, she was alarmed to see that the horse’s head stood _taller_ than her own. How is it that horses didn’t seem this big when you saw them on tv and in movies?

“You okay?” Oliver asked, his palm warm on her back.

“Yeah, sure. I’m fine,” she said, lying her ass off. She listened to the staff members as they rattled off their safety speech and explained the basics of controlling the horse, waiting to hear some magic command that would make the horse not rear and knock her out of the saddle. But it never came.

When the staff members stepped back, Felicity panicked a little. “Wait, they’re just leaving us with the horses?”

Oliver chuckled. “It’s time for our ride, Felicity. We get in the saddle, go down the beach to the place they told us to turn around and then ride back. We don’t need them for that, they’ll be here waiting for us when we get back.”

“Oh.” She eyed the saddle and the stirrup and then watched Thea climb gracefully onto the back of her horse. She swallowed. Roy, at least, looked to be having more difficulty but he was able to pull himself up. Oliver, it seemed, was waiting for her.

“Do you need help?” he asked gently.

“I think I’ve got it,” she said, fitting her foot in the stirrup and grabbing the pommel of the saddle and trying to haul herself up. She bounced up several times but her arms couldn’t quite manage pulling herself the rest of the way up. “Okay, no, I don’t got it.”

His soft laughter warmed her. “Here, let me help you.” Then, his hands were on her waist. “On the count of three, hop, okay? One… two… three!”

Felicity hopped and Oliver lifted her up as though she weighed no more than a sack of flour. She got over her surprise in enough time to swing her other leg up over the saddle and just like that, she was up on the horse’s back.

“Hey! Look at that!” she cried, smiling. Thea and Roy grinned at her and she looked down at Oliver who was watching her with a soft expression. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure, ma’am.” He made a gesture as if to flick the edge of his Stetson, if he were wearing one. It made her grin and she watched as he easily boosted himself into the saddle of his horse. Damn, he made it look easy. And how was that so hot?

Thea and Roy started off down the beach but Oliver hung back until he was sure she had her horse under control. He showed her how to move the reins to tell the horse where to go and how to get her moving. Soon, they were following after Oliver’s sister and her fiancé.

The sunset provided a striking background as they moved along the beach and Oliver told her about jet skiing with the guys earlier. Listening to him helped her not overthink the fact that was up really, really high on this horse’s back. She imagined that was probably why he was doing it.

At the halfway point of their ride, the sky was more purple than anything else and the darkness was stretching across the island. The breeze was cooling a little and the palm trees around the far end of the bay stood out in brilliant silhouette against the darkening sky. The air smelled of ocean and tropical flowers. She breathed deep, smiling.

“You look happy,” Oliver remarked.

“I am,” she admitted. “I think this place is getting to me. It’s, you know… romantic.”

Felicity wanted to bite back that word but it was already out. She glanced at Oliver to see him watching her thoughtfully. After a moment, he nodded.

“Yeah, me too.”

A shiver chased up her arms and Felicity didn’t think it was because of the breeze. What was happening? Was it just the island ambiance getting to them or were the carefully constructed walls between them actually crumbling. Felicity wasn’t sure what to make of it.

By the time they made it back, the sun was fully down and stars were sparkling in the navy blue sky. The moon was rising over the back of the island but so far, all Felicity could see of it was a silvery glow that highlighted the mountains and jungle beyond the resort.

Roy and Thea were chattering about the ride and dismounting from their horses, handing the reigns over to the waiting staff. Oliver was teasing Roy about something from when they’d been out jet skiing and Thea was having a good laugh over it while Felicity wondered how in the world she was going to get down off the horse. Then, Oliver appeared next to her, his hand gently touching her knee.

“Need help?” he asked, smiling up at her.

She wanted badly be a strong, independent woman who didn’t need help getting on and off of horses but the fact was, she was up really high and the horses was stamping her hooves impatiently. So she smiled down at him and nodded fervently.

“Okay, just put your weight in this stirrup here and start sliding in this direction. Don’t forget to let go of the reins,” he instructed. “I’ll be here and I’ll catch you.”

Oliver lifted his arms and nodded encouragingly at her. Felicity licked her lips, feeling her heart race a little but did as he told her. She let go of the reins and grabbed the pommel of the saddle instead, starting to slid towards that side of the horse, her foot firmly in the one stirrup.

She kept her eyes on Oliver’s, distracting her from how far off the ground she was. The only issue was then all her focus was on his hands and how they grasped her around her waist, holding her as she dismounted from the horse. The whole maneuver could have been more graceful but Felicity hardly noticed. His hands were warm, strong and firm and he grasped her firmly, confidently.

His eyes never left her face as he lifted her down from the saddle. She didn’t even try not to fall against him, letting her chest brush against his. Their faces were so close, their noses almost touching, as she slid down the length of his body until she finally reached the sand with her tip toes.

Once she was steady, Oliver stepped back, dipping his head and… was he blushing? It was difficult to tell in the gathering dark but she thought his ears looked redder than usual…

Whatever it was, it was interrupted by Thea and Roy joining them and suggesting they go grab dinner together at the resort cafe. The spell was broken but Oliver still reached for her hand as they walked together back towards the main buildings of the resort. Felicity felt… good.

***

The bungalow was stiflingly hot when Felicity first woke up the next morning. It took her a ridiculous amount of time to piece together why that was. That often happened to her when she slept long and hard; it was almost like her brain reset and took a minute to boot up in the morning. So everything came back to her in little bits as she she opened her eyes and took in the bright sunlight and the white linens that cushioned her cheek.

She recalled that she was in the middle of the Pacific, on an island called Motu Nui with her “husband” who was… not just sharing this bed with her but currently cuddled up behind her. His nose was behind her neck, an arm around her waist kept her pulled against him and she could feel the length of his legs behind hers. They were curled up together, very much _not_ on separate sides of the bed from one another like they had been when they fell asleep.

The cuddling was only part of the reason Felicity felt so hot, though. She could tell by the saturation of sunlight filling the room that it was later than they usually slept. The wall of windows that faced the ocean was closed, trapping the heat inside without any of the natural breeze from the ocean to disperse it.

Felicity was just contemplating what she should do (should she try to slip out of bed without waking him? Wake him up and play it off? Pretend to go back to sleep and hope he woke and dealt with it?) when she felt Oliver start a little. His arm tightened around her waist and his breathing stilled at the back of her neck.

She was about to pretend to be asleep when he murmured her name. “Are you awake?” he asked her.

“Yes,” she answered. Lying to him was impossible, apparently.

The arm around her waist loosened and withdrew and Felicity felt his hand at her shoulder, tugging, urging her to roll to face him. She went readily, still too heavy with sleep to consider resisting.

When she faced him, she noticed several things. The first was that his stubble looked particularly rough and long this morning and she wondered if it looked that way every morning and she’d just never noticed before. The second was that his hair, which was short, definitely had a tousled quality to it that made him look particularly roguish. But the third thing was easily the most devastating… his expression was soft and open, his eyes dark and hooded and his lips full and pouty. She could sink into him, right here and now, and not even think about looking back.

From the look in his eyes, he was experiencing the same feeling.

Oliver bent forward, just a little, and brushed his nose alongside hers. She shivered with awareness and sucked in a breath, sure that he was about to kiss her. But he didn’t. Instead, he drew back and lifted up on an elbow. He looked down at her, struggling with some sort of decision. In a moment, he made it and he drew away from her altogether.

Felicity listened as he got out of the bed and padded into the bathroom. She turned back over, sighing. Things would surely be awkward now and she had no patience for it. Not today, not anymore.

With a grumble, she pulled herself out of the bed. It was the day of the rehearsal and she was due to spend the day with Moira, Thea, and her other bridesmaid, a friend from college named Amanda. They were going to get spa treatments and have a girls day ahead of the wedding. As much as a day with her “mother-in-law” sounded fairly awful, Felicity was now glad for the reason to be out of the bungalow and away from Oliver. She just could not deal with the awkwardness.

In fact, she didn’t need to shower before leaving; she’d surely be getting a shower at some point during the day at the resort spa. Right then, she needed to get out of there. She grabbed a sundress from the closet and threw it on. Then she walked out of the bungalow, finger-combing her hair as she went. The more distance she put between herself and Oliver, naked in the shower, the better.

Okay, now to stop thinking of Oliver naked in the shower…

Felicity was the first one at the spa so she made a detour to the coffee cart and picked her up a mocha with a double shot of espresso. She stood drinking that, purposefully steering her thoughts away from Oliver, while she waited for the other women. Moira, unfortunately, was the first to arrive.

“Felicity,” she greeted smoothly, “nice to see you this morning. We missed you at dinner last night.”

“We ended up getting a quick meal at the cafe with Thea and Roy after our horseback ride,” Felicity explained.

“That’s right.” Thea appeared then with her other bridesmaid, Amanda, just behind her. “It was such a beautiful ride, Mom. You and Dad should do it if you’re here after the wedding. Very, very romantic.”

Thea winked at Felicity and she tried to hide her blush behind her coffee cup. So Thea had noticed the energy between her and Oliver… she hadn’t been sure. And she absolutely wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Felicity felt strangely protective of the little moments she’d been sharing with Oliver lately. Which was absurd since the whole point was that they put on a show for Oliver’s family and convince them they were a legitimate couple. Since when had this whole thing been turned around like this?

So, Felicity just cleared her throat and nodded in agreement with what Thea had said. “Yes, very romantic. Oliver and I enjoyed it quite a bit.”

Moira’s eyebrows raised, ending up near her hairline but she didn’t say anything further. She nodded and looked as though she was seriously considering it. Felicity found she couldn’t picture the Queen matriarch on the back of a horse, particularly for a romantic sunset ride.

The spa day ended up being the best day Felicity had spent so far on Motu Nui. The women underwent various different treatments, each customized to their own particular needs. There was a lot of lighthearted chatter, champagne, berries to snack on and more pampering than Felicity had ever experienced in her life. By the time the day was finishing up, she was already considering doing this trip once a year, just to revive herself. She was a successful CEO now, she could afford it. She deserved it.

As the sun dipped down in the sky, the time for the rehearsal drew new. Thea had explained it was taking place at sunset, since the actual wedding was scheduled for the middle of the day, Thea wanted to mix things up for the rehearsal. Plus, she reasoned, it would make for some spectacular photos. Judging from the sunset she’d seen last night from the back of that horse, Felicity tended to agree.

She had a dress for the rehearsal and the dinner afterwards; it was a bit nicer than the ones she’d worn already this week, but not quite as fancy as the bridesmaid dress she’d be wearing tomorrow for the actual wedding. This one was floor length with a deep dip in the front, exposing tasteful cleavage, and a wild palm print with delicate pink flowers all over it. It was bold and colorful and very fitting with the island atmosphere.

She changed in the room provided for them at the spa along with Thea, Amanda and Moira. Thea and Moira were discussing some of the wedding details and Amanda was chiming in with her own thoughts. Felicity had nothing to add so she kept quiet, instead savoring the looseness she felt after all those treatments. Her skin felt dewey and soft, her hair was conditioned and shiny, looking better than it had in months. Eyeing her appearance in the mirror, she decided she didn’t need much makeup. Leaving her hair flowing over her shoulders was striking enough, all she needed was some deep pink lipstick and a swipe or two of mascara for her eyelashes.

She slipped a pair of strappy sandals on her feet and followed the other women out of the room and towards the cabana that had been set up on the beach for the rehearsal. They were supposed to meet the men there; they’d had their own day together, just not at the spa. Instead, they’d gone to the golf course for a day on the links. None of them, save for Moira, enjoyed golfing so they were more than happy to let the boys have their game while they got pampered.

As they neared the cabana, Felicity noticed the men had made it there ahead of them and were standing about, talking. The wedding coordinator and the officiant were talking to Robert and Roy off to one side and Tommy and Oliver were off to the other side, deep in conversation.

Oliver looked up, as though he’d sensed her approach. His eyes widened and she saw them move over her, from head to foot and back up again. Tommy gave her a similar look but punctuated his perusal with a grin and a thumbs up while Oliver continued to look dumbstruck.Felicity hoped she wasn’t blushing as hard as it felt like she was.

His arm went around her as she stepped up to his side and he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Hello, wife,” he greeted her.

“Hello, husband. Have fun golfing today?”

“I did. Did you have fun getting seaweed wraps?”

“Among other things,” she said with a mischievous smile. Tommy chuckled. Oliver looked intrigued.

“You look lovely,” Oliver said, his voice low and his lips near her ear.

Felicity tipped her head back to look up and meet his eyes. She found no artifice there and had to restrain herself from biting her lip.

“Thank you.”

The coordinator cleared her throat then and directed everyone on where to go when and where to stand. Oliver took his place between Roy and Tommy in front of the officiant while Felicity followed Thea and Amanda behind the cabana. She barely listened as the coordinator talked to Thea about walking in with her father after Amanda and Felicity lead the way down the aisle. Once they were ready, Amanda started and Felicity followed a few beats later.

She tried very hard not to meet Oliver’s eye, her stomach already inhabited by butterflies from his attentiveness before the rehearsal began. But as she neared the end of the makeshift aisle that had been set up for the rehearsal, she glanced his way and found him watching her. The weight of his gaze settled on her and both calmed her and kicked up her adrenaline all at the same time. It made her want to walk up to him, lift onto her toes, and kiss him.

What the hell was happening? Felicity _never_ would have had a thought like that before this last week. Even their hugs were few and far between. They lived more like roommates than anything else. And here she was having all these romantic thoughts and impulses regarding him?

As she took her place in front of Amanda, Felicity felt nervous and uneasy and she kept her eyes at the back of the aisle, where Thea was preparing to walk with her father. She kept her eyes _off_ of Oliver for the remainder of the rehearsal.

***

The rehearsal diner was a very casual affair and there was a lot of music and laughter and alcohol. It was almost as though this was standing in as a sort of bachelor/ette function instead of a rehearsal dinner. The older folks, such as his parents and his aunt and uncle had a table to themselves off to the side and they pretty much kept to their little group. The younger folks all danced in the middle of the room and took part in the karaoke set up that Thea had specifically requested be brought out after the meal.

“We gotta do this,” Felicity told him, grabbing his arm.

“Karaoke and alcohol?” Oliver said, grimacing a little. “That sounds like a dangerous combination.”

“That’s the point.” She dragged him over to the bar and called for two shots of fireball whiskey. “C’mon. Live a little, Queen.”

She’d already had a few drinks herself, on top of the wine she’d had with dinner and it was showing in her flushed cheeks and loosened attitude. Oliver rather enjoyed it. He’d never really seen her drunk before and this was as close to that as he’d ever witnessed. It was… charming.

He was feeling pleasantly buzzed himself, just enough to make him not care about what a tremendous fool he’d look like getting up on that stage to sing some karaoke. So he let himself be dragged by his tiny wife. He even let her select the song.

“Ooh! Maroon 5!” she cried when she saw the song list.

Oliver tried not to roll his eyes. They’d never been one of his favorite bands.

“Oh, I loved their whole ‘Songs about Jane’ album when I was younger. I used to sing along with it every day,” she went on.

“Which song do you want to sing?” he asked, biting his tongue to hold back any other commentary. “I assume ‘She Will Be Loved’?”

Felicity hummed thoughtfully. “You know, I think I’d rather sing ‘Sunday Morning’,” she replied.

It was a far more _bluesy_ song that he generally liked but she looked so excited to sing it with him that Oliver found he could not deny her. “Sounds good,” he said, smiling down at her. Her resulting smile could have lit the world and Oliver felt a hum of pleasure that he was the one who’d made her so happy… even superficially.

The pair up on stage now, Roy and Tommy of all things, were just finishing up their own song, a crowd-pleasing rendition of Katy Perry’s “Hot & Cold”. Oliver chuckled at his two friends, one of them his brother in all but blood and the other about to become his brother in low and shook his head. He had to admit it, he loved those two goofballs.

As soon as they were finished, Oliver followed Felicity up onto the stage. There were some hoots and hollers from those that were watching and he could see even his parents were now watching with interest.

The music started and Oliver shifted the microphone in his grip, using his other hand to wrap around Felicity’s waist and pull her to him. He was squinting at the lyrics up on the screen when she started to sing.

And he was _blown away_.

He’d never heard her sing before and apparently, it was a hidden talent of hers because her voice positively caressed the words of the song and Oliver wasn’t sure if he was turned on or soothed or just head over heels in love. That the answer was probably a mix of all three was something he wasn’t quite ready to come face to face with.

He was so flummoxed by her singing that he almost forgot to chime in. He joined her on the chorus and then from there, they took turns singing lines and verses and their voices came together in a smooth harmony. Everyone watching them had similar expressions of shock and wonder and Oliver noticed his sister filming them with her camera out of the corner of his eye. He was going to have to ask her to send him a copy.

For the rest of the song, he focused on her and found her beaming up at him, her eyes sparkling as she sang. When he sang the next line to her, her cheeks pinked up and he felt a thrill at seeing her react to him that way.

When the song was over, she threw her arms around his neck in a big hug and he lifted her up off her feet. When he set her back down again, he kissed her and he wasn’t even sure if it was just for show or not. In fact, he didn’t think about it being for show until he was already kissing her.

His parents and aunt and uncle left shortly after that, leaving the young ones to party into the night. They drank a little more and sang a little more, along with everyone else. Roy even talked Oliver into singing a song with him (“Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore), which made everyone laugh and scream. Felicity had literal tears streaming down her face from laughing. He was all set to pay her back and laugh through her duet with Thea (“Girls (Who Run the World)” by Beyoncé), but he ended up being awed yet again by her talent and the sight of her on the stage, strutting her stuff.

A hand clapped him on the shoulder, startling him. “You’ve got it bad, buddy,” Tommy said.

“Don’t you have a bridesmaid to deflower?” Oliver asked him, polishing off his drink.

Tommy glanced at Amanda who was not-so-subtly watching them from over the rim of her martini glass. “Yeah, I don’t know. That one is a bit desperate for my tastes.”

“And you aren’t desperate?” Oliver asked.

“Not so much that I don’t have standards,” Tommy answered. “And look who’s desperate here. You. Don’t change the subject.”

Oliver snorted. “I’m not desperate.”

“Uhm, yes you are. You want in your wife’s pants so badly you’re practically panting.”

Tommy moved away after that to sing a duet with Thea, leaving Oliver to grumble to himself. But his bad mood only lasted so long as it took Felicity to return to his side.

She was very clearly feeling the effects of the alcohol she’d been drinking. She grinned up at him, her cheeks pink and her eyes slightly glassy. Oliver held her up, chuckling. “You are a mess,” he told her.

“Yeah but it feels _good_ ,” she said, drawing out the syllables of the last word. Oliver groaned.

“We should go back to the bungalow,” he suggested.

“But I don’t want to sleep yet,” she replied, pouting.

“Maybe we can do something before we go to sleep.”

“The hot tub??” Her eyes lit up.

“Yeah, the hot tub,” he said, suddenly imagining it. They hadn’t used the hot tub on their deck yet and some late night drunk hot tubbing sounded like a great way to finish off the day. A little voice in the back of his head was yelling that this was dangerous territory, that this was exactly what he’d been working so hard to avoid all week long. But something about the island, the build up, the _alcohol_ was making that little voice very hard to listen to. Because right now, his hormones were taking over and his hormones very much wanted to get into a hot tub with a tispy Felicity Smoak.

Apparently, she agreed because a moment later, Felicity called out a goodnight to Thea and Roy and, grabbing his hand, pulled him from the room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity have finally reached the breaking point. But what will break first? Their control or their friendship?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU GUYS! The reaction to the last chapter was amazing and I adored each and every comment you left me. It was a pretty mean cliffhanger, huh? I wish I could say it was the last time I leave you with a cliffhanger like that in this story but... it's not. Hold on, friends, here's where it starts getting turbulent! 
> 
> Without much more ado, I'm going to dive in to the chapter because I KNOW you're all dying to know what comes next!

The moon was high in the sky as Oliver and Felicity stumbled back to their bungalow. Oliver was just slightly more sober than Felicity, but that wasn’t saying a whole lot. He held her up with an arm around her waist as they made their way along the docks to their unit, clear on the end.

Felicity was giggling softly to herself, over some joke that only she knew about. The sound of her mirth made him grin as he let them into their bungalow using the keycard. He only stumbled a little bit, maneuvering them both over the threshold. The room spun a little, not unpleasantly, but enough to let him know he was definitely feeling his own alcohol consumption.

“I’m not ready to sleep,” she proclaimed as she let go of him and weaved her own way through the room. The back of the bungalow was still open to the deck and the ocean air beyond and Oliver could see the ocean glittering with the light from the moon just beyond the deck.

“So you said back at karaoke,” he reminded her. “We were going to do the hot tub, remember?”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh! That’s right! How could I forget!”

Felicity kicked off her sandals and her fingers went to the zipper at the back of her dress. Oliver stopped still. “Maybe you should change into your suit in the bathroom?” he suggested.

She looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes at him. “Why, are you afraid to skinny dip?”

Her tone was teasing but she kept unzipping her dress which made Oliver think she might actually mean it. He started unbutton his linen shirt, just to have something to do with his hands. His fingers suddenly felt huge to him, fumbling with the little buttons as he watched her start to shimmy her hips, the dress slipping down off her shoulders.

“I’m not afraid,” he insisted, his voice a hoarse croak.

“Good,” she said, kicking the dress aside, leaving her in just her bra and panties. Oliver’s mouth went bone dry as he watched her saunter out onto the deck, her hips swaying provocatively.

“Shit,” he muttered, kicking off his own shoes and shorts, leaving him in his boxer briefs as he hurried out to join her. Surely, she’d just be getting into the tub in her underwear… right?

He made it outside just in time to see her step into the hot tub. She’d turned on thewater jets and still had her underwear on as she slipped into the water. Oliver blew out a breath, unsure if he was disappointed or relieved. But before he could figure out which it was, he watched as she shimmied under the water a little and a moment later, produced her underwear in one hand.

Felicity held up the scrap of satin and lace and grinned at him, waving it back and forth. Then she tossed it onto the deck where it landed with a wet plop.

“Felicity!” he gasped.

“Your turn, Oliver,” she said, even as she reached behind her to unclasp her bra. Oliver swore under his breath as he climbed into the hot tub. At least she’d left the tub’s lights off, making the water dark enough that he (or she) couldn’t really see anything. Still, knowing she was sitting a few feet away with nothing on…

Gulping, he reached down to yank off his boxer briefs. As she lifted her bra off and held it like she had her panties, Oliver did the same with his underwear. He cocked an eyebrow at her and she smiled back at him. They threw their last garments at the same time.

Awareness made the hairs on his arms stand up, even as the heated water warmed the rest of him. He could only see Felicity’s shoulders and the very tops of her breasts above the water, but it was more of her than he’d ever seen before. And while she’d seen him shirtless plenty of times by now, she still stared at him, his chest and shoulders and her eyes dancing around the water around as if she was trying to see beneath it. Her lip was caught in her teeth as she gazed at him and it was difficult to tell in just the moonlight, but he thought her eyes were dark and heavy as she looked. And he knew his were the same.

“Felicity…”

She looked at him while sliding across the underwater bench towards him. “Yes, Oliver?”

He moved towards her too, like they were magnets, irresistible to the pull between them. He could see the water droplets forming on her smooth shoulders, the ends of her hair damp and curling, her eyes glittering in the semi-darkness. She lifted a hand and touched him, first his shoulder and then moving up his neck to touch his jaw.

“Maybe we could…” he said, but he stopped when her fingertip swiped gently over his lower lip.

“Practice some more?” she finished for him.

“Practice?” He was mumbling, barely aware of speaking aloud.

“Kissing. Our technique could use a little… fine tuning,” she whispered, her words only slightly slurred as she moved even closer. He could feel her leg alongside his which meant the rest of her… was _right_ there. He swallowed.

Oliver knew he had a choice to make but the alcohol was already fogging his head and he wanted her so badly. He’d been wanting her for ages, longer than just this week. He was so tired of holding back. Just this once, he’d like to let go. So he did.

He threaded a hand into her hair, cupping the back of her head and pulling her towards him. She came eagerly, her hands already on his chest, smoothing up over his shoulders as his lips descended on hers. The kiss deepened instantly, her tongue gliding against his and making him groan.

Oliver continued to cup her head in one hand but the other banded around her back, pulling her even closer to him and he felt her breasts brush up on his chest. Felicity made the sweetest little whimpering sound that had him grabbing her tighter.

Some far corner of his brain, a more sober corner for sure, questioned the wisdom of what was happening. He was definitely inebriated and so was she. As fantastic as this felt and… sweet mercy it felt _fantastic_ to be kissing her like this… was this really where and when he wanted this to happen? Did he want this to happen at all? All week they’d been toeing the line with one another and now because the ambiance of the island was wearing them down and they’d had too much to drink, they were going to just throw it all up in the air? That thought sobered him up some.

With a strength Oliver hadn’t even known he could harness, he drew away from Felicity’s lips, letting his hands fall from her body. He scooted away before he could grab her and dive in yet again, like his body so badly wanted him to.

Felicity looked like she was going to follow after him so he put up a hand to keep her where she was. He moved back some more, even as his skin tingled with the memory of the feel of hers.

“Why’d you stop?” she said, her breath coming in gasps.

“Uh… I just think maybe we should get to bed,” he replied. Her eyes widened and he realized how she might misunderstand him. “To sleep. We, uh, we have a big day tomorrow.”

“I’d rather keep kissing you,” she said with a small slur and an exaggerated pout. She moved towards him again but slipped and fell forward. Oliver moved quickly, grabbing her and holding her up out of the water.

“I got you,” he said, painfully aware that his arms were full of naked Felicity. Her head lolled a little, telling him that the heat from the tub was mixing with the alcohol and making her even more unsteady. He cursed under his breath.

“Hey, baby, can you stand up? Can you climb out of the tub?” God, he prayed she could because he couldn’t imagine lifting her out of the tub himself. He knew he could manage it, but at the same time, holding her naked underwater was a bit different than holding her out of the water. At least in his mind, that is.

“Sure,” she said, slurring even more. He barely had time to look away before twisted out of his arms and levered herself out of the hot tub. “See?”

He didn’t want to see. If he saw, this was going to be _so much more difficult_. He glanced her way, holding a hand up in front of his face to protect her modesty, something she didn’t seem remotely concerned about at the moment. “Uh, you see the towels stacked over there?” He gestured to a table off to the side.

“Oooh, towels!” she cooed. She moved to the table and Oliver kept his eyes averted until he was sure she was covered.

“Can you turn around?” he asked her.

Felicity cocked her head and looked at him curiously. “Why would I do that?”

 _Why, indeed_. “Uh… hey, is that a dolphin?” he asked, squinting past her towards the ocean. It was a cheap trick but it worked as she whirled around, peering out into the darkness.

“Where?”

He took the opportunity to pull himself out of the water and reach for a towel. He’d just gotten it around his waist when she whirled back around, looking adorably confused.

“Must have dove back under the water,” he said with a shrug. “Maybe we’ll catch it tomorrow.”

“So…” she said, giving him a coy smile. “What are we going to do now, then?”

Oliver steered her into the bungalow and she went pretty willingly, sure that he was angling for more makeout time on the more practical bed. And, truthfully, that was what he _wanted_ to do. But the more sober he got, minute by minute, the louder that voice of decency in his brain became and he couldn’t ignore it any longer.

Much as he wished he could.

Felicity was easy enough to maneuver into the bed and Oliver felt a pang of guilt that he was basically using her willingness to sleep with him to get her to where she needed to be, without having to pick her up and carry her himself. If that made him a coward, then so be it. As soon as she was perched on the edge of the bed, Oliver told her to stay and moved to the closet off the bathroom to grab one of his shirts.

She watched him curiously, but still with that open and slightly sloppy grin on her face. He returned to her and slipped the shirt over her head. When her head popped free, a line had formed between her brows.

“Why am I putting this shirt on?” she asked as she dutifully put her arms through the sleeves.

“Err… so I have something to take off,” he told her.

That seemed to appease her and she nodded. Once the shirt was on, she tossed the towel aside. Oliver lifted back to blankets and she tucked her legs in. “Is this so you can pull the covers back?” she asked.

“Yes,” he lied, hating himself more and more.

Once she was settled, he went back into the bathroom. “Where are you going now??” she called after him, her words sounding more drowsy than slurred now.

“Uh, just a quick freshen-up,” he called back. He filled a glass with water from the sink and dug some Tylenol out of his toiletries bag. He brought both back to the bed where Felicity was snuggled back against the pillows and looking like she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.

“Here, sit up real quick,” he instructed her. She looked as though she was trying but having a hard time coordinating her arms to lift herself up. Oliver helped her with a hand at her back.

“What’s this?” she mumbled.

“Just a little Tylenol,” he answered. She popped them in her mouth and then took the glass from him, sipping at the contents. “Drink the whole thing.”

She did and then handed him back the glass. He was about to tell her to lay back down but she beat him to it, rolling over on her side and cuddling into the blankets and pillows. He smiled at her, a little ruefully.

By the time he made it back to the bed after changing into underwear and sleep pants, she was already fast asleep.

***

Felicity woke up to a splitting headache. Groaning, she rolled over and noticed a few things. First; the sun was just rising so it wasn’t even terribly late yet. Second; Oliver was not in the bed, nor was he in the bathroom that she could tell or out on the deck. But his side of the bed was ruffled so she knew he’d slept there. Then, she rolled over and noticed the third thing; a glass of water and a couple Tylenol were sitting on the table there.

That reminded her of Oliver handing her a glass and some Tylenol. When was that? Last night? She sat up and instantly regretted it, a hand going immediately to her temple to try to rub out the stabbing pain. She reached for the pills and the water and downed both.

Last night must have been a doozie. Had Oliver left her the painkillers and water? Where was he?

Felicity pulled herself rather reluctantly out of the bed. The floorboards were still slightly cool from the night’s lower temperatures as she padded across them towards the deck. She stepped out and looked around the bungalow. Further out on the deck, she could see the beach, and there, in the distance, she could see a figure running along the wet sand.

She watched until the figure drew close enough to identify. It was Oliver, out jogging on the beach. The sight surprised her a little; he hadn’t done that since being here on Motu Nui though he did run often back at home. As she watched, she started to remember a little bit of the night before.

She remembered the rehearsal and the dinner very clearly. She also remembered karaoke afterwards, and all the drinking. Then, with her heart sinking into her gut, she had a very slight recollection of coming back here to the bungalow with Oliver and getting into the hot tub. And taking off her underwear. And kissing Oliver…

“Oh, no,” she groaned.

Had that actually happened? Had she thrown herself at him? She couldn’t recall anything past that, except the barest flash of him handing her Tylenol and a glass of water. Had he pushed her away? Maybe he didn’t want her that way? The humiliation was gutting and Felicity had to clamp a hand over her mouth as she raced inside to the toilet so she could empty the meagre contents of her stomach.

When she was finished retching, she felt weak, sweaty and shaky. She brushed her teeth and then decided to take a quick shower before Oliver returned. Yes, if she timed this right, she could be out of the shower by the time he returned from his jog.

Felicity gathered the fluffy white robe provided by the resort and hung it next to the shower before hopping under the steaming spray. The water helped wake her up and clear the last of the fog in her brain. She was purposefully not thinking of the night before, however. One thing at a time and she had a big day ahead of her. Plus, she needed to get out of this shower as soon as she could.

Felicity was just rinsing the conditioner from her hair when she thought she heard something. She stilled for a moment but didn’t hear anything else so she finished with her shower and switched off the taps. She was just reaching for her robe on the hook when she saw a figure in the bungalow. Before she could scream, she saw that it was Oliver.

He stood stiffly in the middle of the room, as though frozen to the spot. But he was looking down at the floor. His chest was rising and falling with labored breaths; he’d just gotten in from his jog, after all. His t-shirt clung to his chest and his face was shining with sweat.

Felicity grabbed her robe quickly and pulled it on, then took a little more time wrapping her hair up into a towel. Oliver didn’t move a muscle except to breath. “Oliver?” she called out, a little concerned. Had something happened?

“Are you—” he said, his voice sounding hoarse. He stopped and cleared his throat. “Are you covered?”

She felt her cheeks warm up. “Yeah, I got my robe.”

He glanced up and she noticed how pink his cheeks and ears were. “I’m sorry, I came back and you were still in the shower and I didn’t mean to look, I swear I didn’t. But I didn’t even think about it, I just looked and then I realized what I was looking at, _who_ I was looking at and… and then you got out of the shower.”

Felicity would have felt infinitely more embarrassed if it weren’t so obvious that he was feeling a lion’s share of humiliation about the situation. Somehow, that was endearing and she was able to relax, at least a little. “It’s okay,” she assured him. “You might have seen more last night.”

Oliver’s eyes sharpened. “Last night? You remember?”

“Not a lot,” she admitted.

“I didn’t see anything,” he promised her.

“Oh.” Well, that was good, right? “Well… did you want to use the shower next?”

He nodded, still looking a bit flustered.

“Why don’t you do that and I’ll call us some breakfast to be delivered. Then, when you’re done, we can eat that out on the deck. How does that sound?”

“Yeah, sounds fine.”

He moved past her into the bathroom and she went to the room phone to call in the order, not looking behind her as she heard the shower start up. No, that wasn’t awkward at all.

***

When he first woke up that morning, without a headache thanks to sobering up and drinking plenty of water before going to sleep the night before, he was once again captivated by the sight of Felicity in bed next to him. She looked like an angel, even sleeping as hard as she was.

He also knew he needed to get out of that bed. It’d been pure torture to not take things further the night before. He’d waited until he was considerably more sober before slipping into bed next to her and even then, had willed himself to fall asleep before he could so much as roll in her direction. So when he woke up, the second thing he needed to do, after gazing at her for a protracted moment, was get out of the bed and put as much distance between them as he could.

The problem was he had all this extra energy inside of him; restless energy that needed an outlet. Finally, he decided on taking a long run along the beach. It was early yet and the sun was just rising. The beach was empty with all the tourists still asleep. He had the whole beach to himself, to run out his ridiculous thoughts and hopeless desires.

The run certainly helped. Exercise always helped him clear his mind, which was very helpful as the CEO of Queen Consolidated. And now, it was helping him sort out his thoughts about Felicity. He knew that he had feelings for her. Oliver wasn’t so obtuse that he couldn’t recognize that. They’d become more than just business partners over the last year. They’d become friends… the best of friends, actually.

Somewhere along the way, he’d started thinking of her first thing when he woke in the morning and last thing before going to sleep at night. He’d remember something funny she’d said during the day and laugh. He’d send her silly texts and wait impatiently for her witty response. He liked to hear her talk about her day, venting her frustrations and sharing her victories with him.

God, was he _in love_ with her?

Oliver didn’t know and he wasn’t sure if he was ready for the answer quite yet anyhow. He pushed himself harder, digging his sneakers into the wet sand to propel himself faster down the beach. The exertion put all thoughts out of his head, even those about Felicity. He’d deal with all those feelings later, after they were back home again and their lives were settled back into their usual routine.

He just couldn’t do that here on this island. Something about this place… it made him soft. It made him want to forget the practicalities of their lives. A decision couldn’t be made here, like this was the real world. It wasn’t and he couldn’t forget that.

By the time he made it back to the bungalow, he felt spent and his mind was clear. Unlike when he’d first woken up, he felt capable of being in Felicity’s vicinity without breaking down. He was strong.

Of course, two minutes after he opened the door and stepped inside, he was quickly changing his mind about that. He was weak. Weak as hell and unable to tear his eyes away from the figure inside the shower.

He couldn’t see much; the glass was fogged and spattered with water. But he could tell the outline of her body, bare and golden under the spray of water. He could see the curve of her silhouette and watched it, avidly, as she moved and turned under the water. Her arms were over her head, threading through her hair, rinsing it.

Oliver imagined what it would be like to be in that shower with her. Would he shield her from the water, washing her hair for her, running his fingers through the wet strands of hair, touching her shoulders, her arms, her waist…? Or would he stand behind her, washing her body as she washed her hair, exchanging soft kisses and feeling the spray patter on their faces and their lips.

The problem was he could see it so clearly, sharing that with her. And his fingers actually itched to tear his sweaty shirt and shorts off and join her in there. Oliver bit down hard on his lower lip and the slight pain helped him stay where he was. But before he could move away, walk out onto the deck, leave the bungalow… the shower shut off. He froze.

He finally mustered the will to look away, towards the floor, as she stepped out of the shower, reaching for her robe. “Oliver?”

He felt like slime. Like the worst sort of sub human. He’d walked in here, discovered her in the shower, and instead of walking back out and giving her her privacy, he’d watched her. He was lucky that she didn’t seem angry with him, just mildly embarrassed. She offered him the shower next, as though nothing had happened. And she’d mentioned last night. He couldn’t tell what all she remembered, but when she offered to order him breakfast while he showered, he knew they’d have to talk about it while they ate. They _should_ talk about it. The worst thing would be if their friendship suffered from this.

As Oliver stepped into the shower, he thanked his lucky stars that Felicity hadn’t noticed the growing bulge in his shorts as he’d stood there like a fool. He hadn’t meant to look at her in the shower… and honestly he couldn’t see _much_. But apparently, it’d been enough. And now, as the warm spray rained down on him, he _still_ had a hard on. Because the image of those curves was burned on his brain.

Felicity was just out on the deck and he knew she’d be strong enough not to peek in the window at him. She wasn’t like him, weak and needy.The way she’d acted last night had been because of all the alcohol in her system. She hadn’t been thinking clearly. Because when she was thinking clearly, she had no interest in him that way. He wouldn’t hold that against her, even if it had been something he wanted so badly. That wasn’t her fault. None of it was.

After he washed his body and hair, Oliver noticed that his dick still hadn’t gotten the message. He hated the idea of jerking off while Felicity was literally feet away from him, but he wasn’t sure what other choice he had in these circumstances. If he didn’t, then he’d be sporting this boner while having breakfast with her and wouldn’t that be much worse? Oliver peeked out the window, to see if he could see where she was.

Luck was on his side. She was on the opposite end of the deck, laying in a lounge chair and reading a book. If he was careful and kept quiet, she’d never have to know. And, growing up and especially in college, Oliver had a lot of experience with keeping quiet. Just so long as he didn’t linger…

He took himself in hand, biting his lip to hold back a groan at the feeling of exquisite pressure on his stiff cock. It’d been days since he’d done this and without any other… _outlet_ … he was feeling more than a little needy at the moment. Oliver called up an image to help himself along… it started out as the fogged image of Felicity in the shower earlier, but quickly morphed into a flash to their kiss last night in the hot tub. His fist pumped harder and faster as he recalled the taste of her on his tongue, the feel of her lips beneath his.

Then, he recalled the feel of her breasts pressing against his bare chest, the stiff buds of her nipples reacting to his nearness and his kisses. With the memory of her soft moans in his ears, Oliver came hard, spurting against the wall of the shower, his whole body shuddering.

He took several long, gulping breaths, enjoying the relief that his release brought him. The spray from the shower beat down on his shoulders and washed the evidence of his deed from the wall of the shower. He was pretty sure he’d kept quiet but peeked around the edge of the window to where Felicity lay to make sure.

Her eyes were still on the pages of her book so he thought he was in the clear. He finished rinsing off and then shut off the taps. He dried quickly and pulled on a clean pair of shorts and shirt before walking out onto the deck to join Felicity.

“Breakfast not here yet?” he asked, seeing the empty table.

“Hmm?” She glanced up from her book and looked at him as if not expecting him to be there. Must be a good book. “Oh! No, I guess not. But they should be here any minute.”

Right on cue, there was a knock at the bungalow door. “I’ll get it,” Oliver offered, already moving back inside. He let in the waitstaff and directed them to the table on the deck where Felicity was already getting settled. A few minutes later, they were left alone with their breakfast spread. Felicity had ordered his favorite; waffles with a variety of fruit toppings. She’d also ordered them orange juice but he noticed there was no champagne, no alcohol at all actually. Probably a good thing.

They started to eat and the whole atmosphere was very tense and awkward. There was an elephant at this table with them and Oliver wanted to get it addressed sooner rather than later. Regardless of his inconvenient feelings for her and how they’d grown over the last few months, he prized how close they’d become as friends. He didn’t want to lose that.

“We should probably talk,” he said, after a few minutes had passed.

“About last night?” Felicity pushed her fried potatoes around her plate with her fork.

“Yes. You do remember that we kissed, right? In the hot tub?”

Her cheeks turned pink. “I do remember that, yes. But not much else.”

“That’s mostly all there was,” he said, unsure if he should tell her how close he came to just giving in to the temptation she’d presented. 

“I know I’d had a lot to drink and I was… I was out of control. I’m really sorry if I was too forward, Oliver.”

And now he felt like garbage. Because _she_ was apologizing to _him_? “Felicity, you have nothing to be sorry about.”

“I feel like I do, though. I don’t have a real good memory of what happened but I do remember coming at you in the tub and kissing you and I was basically pushing you to go into the tub in the first place… I put you in an awkward position.”

“You didn’t put me anywhere I wasn’t willing to go,” he corrected her. “We were both drinking last night.”

“I know. I don’t normally drink that much and I guess this is why.”

Oliver felt awful. She clearly was blaming herself and looked so regretful that the small hope that had bloomed in his chest, the hope that said she might be having feelings for him too, withered and died. Apparently, she’d only kissed him because she was drunk and feeling loose and not because she was interested. Seeing as how she could barely meet his eye today, clearly she regretted her actions. Clearly she had no intention of ever kissing him again, when she was sober.

“Let’s just put it behind us,” Oliver suggested, returning his attention the plate in front of him, even though the food tasted more like ash in his mouth now.

“Yes, that’s a good idea,” Felicity agreed and she seemed to relax, finally eating her meal instead of poking at it with her fork.

Their talk turned to discussion about the upcoming wedding that evening and it _seemed_ like the bump in the road was behind them. But Oliver felt strange. He didn’t feel like the kiss was behind them. In fact, he felt that they hadn’t yet begun to deal with the fall out of what was happening between them this week.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thea's wedding is finally here! The event brings up a lot of feelings for Felicity as things between her and Oliver near the breaking point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS. So. I love how much you all love this story. Your comments are precious to me and I with I could thank each and everyone who is reading this, reblogging it on Tumblr, retweeting it on Twitter, leaving me comments and kudos and just generally being fantastic readers a BIG HUG but I can't do that because the internet has limitations, apparently. 
> 
> I really hope you all enjoy this chapter. This one was a bit tough to write, for several reasons, but we're kind of at a crisis point here and this is what propels the last five chapters. So stick with me here, folks. And enjoy! See you next Wednesday. 
> 
>  
> 
> [Felicity's wedding look](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/22095854398887821/)

Amanda and Thea were chattering with one another, happy and excited about the day and night ahead. The wedding was going to start in about a half an hour, during the brightest and warmest part of the day. But that was how Thea had wanted it. She’d wanted the sun bright on her and Roy as they pledged their lives to one another. No hint of darkness.

After breakfast, Oliver had left to meet up with Tommy and Roy. As it would take them less time to get ready, they were going to play some tennis before the ceremony. Felicity had met up with Thea and Amanda at the resort’s hair salon to have their hair all done. Thea’s hair was cut fairly short and there wasn’t much that needed to be done, but Felicity and Amanda each had long hair and were getting elaborate updos. While they were getting their hair tended to, a manicurist was painting Thea’s fingers and toes with a bright fuchsia pink.

Felicity and Amanda were up next for manicures while Thea got her makeup done by a professional makeup artist. Thea was positively glowing, even before her makeup went on, and her smile could probably light the room if given half a chance. Amanda was talking her ear off about some guy she was flirting with back at home in Coast City. Felicity didn’t mean to be rude, but the topic didn’t hold much interest for her. Amanda seemed like a fairly vapid young woman and that assumption was justified when Amanda started to gush about a resort bartender she’d been flirting with the night before at the rehearsal dinner.

So, instead, Felicity thought back to her morning back at the bungalow. Breakfast had been so awkward that she’d nearly wanted to run screaming from the table, perhaps even throw herself into the ocean just off the deck. She’d tried to apologize for coming on too strong and Oliver had gotten really flustered at that. That’s when she’d had to admit the truth to herself: Oliver just didn’t see her that way.

The signs were all there. Felicity had kissed him, she’d made a move on him, facilitated by her lowered inhibitions. Her memories of the kiss were hazy and indistinct but she recalled the warmth and comfort of his embrace that was unlike any of the “staged” kisses they’d shared before that.

But he’d stopped the kisses. He’d pushed her away and then… put her to bed like she was some sort of child. Like she was a _sister_ to him, even. Oliver was a healthy young man in the prime of his life. If she couldn’t stir his blood, then the fact remained that he just wasn’t attracted to her like that.

And really, why would Felicity assume he would be? All the women he dated were tall, sleek, usually brunette and they all exuded cool sophistication like it was second nature. That was so very much not _her_. She was short, blonde, had thick thighs and a curvy rear end and she tended to babble about nerdy things that no sophisticated woman probably ever even thought about. Felicity didn’t deny that Oliver liked her, cared for her even, but as a _friend_. She was perfect “gal pal” material. After all, there was no risk of falling into bed with someone that was so unlike the women he was usually attracted to.

Felicity hated that she even had these thoughts. It wasn’t like her to be insecure about herself, comparing herself to other women. She knew her worth, dammit. She was a successful, intelligent woman. And, yes, she wasn’t unattractive. So what if she wasn’t Oliver’s type? Since when did she care about _that_?

In fact, wasn’t the promise of not having romantic entanglements with him a primary motivator for her with this whole marriage idea in the first place? She didn’t have time or interest in getting involved in something with him or anyone else. Who cared what woman turned that man’s head? From what she knew about Oliver’s romantic history, getting involved with him was asking for a big headache. She enjoyed being his friend, but that’s where it had to end with them.

Still, even with that settled in her mind, Felicity felt a little morose and uneasy. And that did _not_ match the moods of the women around her, especially when Thea and Oliver’s Aunt joined them as they moved to the cabana tent set up down on the beach where the ceremony would be taking place.

Thea’s wedding was all about bright, island-inspired colors. She’d let Felicity and Amanda each a dress that suited them but she’d given them a range of colors to choose from. Felicity went with a bright coral, that went well with her skin tone and highlighted her blonde hair and blue eyes. It was short, with a crochet lace overlay and sweet little cap sleeves. She left her glasses off, opting for her contact lenses instead, just to highlight her eyes even more.

Amanda’s dress was also short and fitted like Felicity’s was, but hers was a crepe-like fabric in a vivid turquoise color. Next to Thea’s dress, they looked perfectly “beachy”. Thea’s dress was short as well, by her request, but had a longer chiffon train that descended from her waist. The skirt was a crepe-like fabric like Amanda’s dress with the top a crochet lace overlay like Felicity’s. Instead of pure white, she’d gone with a creamier color that almost perfectly matched the white-sand beaches around them.

After they were dressed, Moira left them, taking Oliver’s aunt with her to go check on if the officiant was ready and if the guests were seated. Thea turned to Felicity with a twinkle in her eyes. “Wait till my brother sees you in that dress,” she said. “You look smoking hot.”

Felicity blushed and before she could say anything, Amanda piped up. “Well, of course he will. He’s her husband, it’s his duty to drool over his wife, isn’t it?”

“We’re not like that,” Felicity protested before she could think better of it.

Amanda blinked her green eyes and looked to Thea. “What do you mean? I thought you said they’re married.”

Thea shrugged a little. “Yeah, they are. It’s complicated.”

“It’s no big deal,” Felicity said. “We got married for business reasons but Oliver’s family doesn’t know. Well, aside from Thea that is.”

“Only because you can never keep anything from me,” she supplied.

“It’s important that Oliver’s parents believe this is a real marriage though. That’s part of it,” Felicity told Amanda. The other girl was watching her, her expression appraising in a way it hadn’t been before. Felicity felt like a bug under a microscope. She wished she could reverse time and take back letting the truth about her and Oliver slip to this girl.

“It’s like something out of a romance novel,” she said at last, smiling. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thanks, Amanda. We probably shouldn’t have said anything, but I know we can trust you,” Thea said warmly.

Felicity didn’t feel quite so sure, but this was Thea’s friend so she’d just have to trust her sister-in-law’s judgement.

The curtain-door of the cabana was pulled aside and Moira poked her head in, smiling. She looked smart and fresh in a pale pink dress that fit the theme and there was a happy twinkle in her eye that Felicity was unaccustomed to seeing. If there was any question about her mother-in-law being happy about her daughter getting married, one look at the Queen matriarch would dispel those doubts.

“Okay, ladies. We’re on,” she said. Amanda gave a squeal and hugged Thea. Felicity embraced her as well, whispering, “good luck,” into her ear. Thea gave her an extra squeeze before letting her go.

“Thanks for being here,” she said, her eyes shimmering with dampness.

“I’m honored to stand up for you, Thea,” Felicity told her earnestly. “Now, don’t cry. You’ll smudge your makeup.”

Amanda and Felicity left the cabana, stepping out into the mid-day sun shine. Rows of white folding chairs had been setup along the sand, framing an aisle trimmed with flowers and laid with a fabric runner. At the end of hte aisle was a floral arch, filled with all kinds of colorful tropical blooms. Underneath it stood the officiant and Roy. Behind him stood Oliver and Tommy. None of them had noticed them yet and Felicity was able to take a minute to admire Oliver in the sandy colored linen suit. His tie was coral colored, matching her dress. The coordinator handed Felicity and Amanda their bouquets, matching the flowers decorating the aisle and the arch. The music began, provided by a quartet of string instruments, while Robert walked Moira down the aisle.

Oliver looked up at his parents’ approach and noticed her at the end of the aisle. His eyes trained on her, not looking away even as Amanda began her walk down the aisle. Felicity fought not to chew on her lower lip as she started walking down the aisle, trying to time her steps the way the coordinator had instructed them to. She could feel the eyes of everyone on her but that didn’t bother her. She knew she looked good. No, it was the weight of Oliver’s gaze that had her thoughts racing as she neared the end of the aisle. It threw into question everything she’d told herself all day. If he didn’t think of her _like that_ , then why was he looking at her like he wanted to have her for dinner?

Felicity dipped her head, breaking Oliver’s gaze, as she reached the end of the aisle and moved off to the side to take her place next to Amanda. She looked back to where Thea was now standing with her father, beaming and ready to marry the love of her life. Felicity couldn’t resist grinning at her and sending her sister-in-law a little thumbs up.

Everyone watched as Thea made her way between the rows of guests. But when she finally reached Roy, who was waiting for her and watching her with such a besotted look on his face that it made Felicity’s heart clench, her gaze was brought back to Oliver. He was looking at Thea, proud and affectionate but as though he could feel her looking at him, he glanced her way. Again, their gazes locked.

The officiant began to speak and the wedding was under way. It truly was a beautiful setting for this ceremony; Thea had known exactly what she was doing when she requested this destination wedding. The waves were crashing in the background, providing natures perfect background music to the proceedings. Wind blew gently, carrying the scenes of the sea and the flowers and foliage around the island. The water sparkled, and the pale sand contrasted brilliantly with the vibrancy of the colors around it. But with all of that, Thea and Roy only had eyes for one another as they recited their vows to one another.

It was such a contrast to her wedding to Oliver. That had been in a claustrophobic little room down at City Hall. No music, no flowers, no loved ones looking on… And certainly no words of everlasting devotion between the two of them. Felicity smiled at Oliver before turning her attention back to the officiant for the remainder of the ceremony. But she continued to wonder what if… what if they had had a wedding like this? What if they had _meant it_? 

***

The reception was held just down the beach at a huge open-air pavilion provided by the resort. It was framed by the lush trees and plants of the forest beyond the beach and bordered by the beach on one side. There were tables set up, a bountiful buffet, a dance floor, a bar, and a lot of happy revelers. The wedding party had to hang back after the end of the ceremony to take some photos with the photographer Thea had hired and paid to fly out to Motu Nui for the event.

By the time they’d been able to join the reception already in full swing, Felicity was beyond hungry. The last thing she’d had to eat was at breakfast that morning on the deck with Oliver. Since it was edging into the evening hours, that was just too long since her last meal and the scent of the island barbecue and assorted complimentary dishes that was wafting towards her from the buffet table was a temptation that Felicity wasn’t capable of resisting.

She and Oliver were seated at the head table next to Roy and Thea. Tommy and Amanda were seated there as well and the group chatted about the wedding while they ate. Even Thea dug into her plate enthusiastically. It helped that the food was delicious.

After they ate, duty called and there was an assortment of traditional activities to witness and take part in. Felicity and Oliver were separated, he was standing near his parents and aunt and uncle while Felicity was, more or less, on her own. Still, she watched and cheered on encouragingly as Roy and Thea cut the wedding cake, threw the bouquet and tossed the garter. She watched as they had their first dance, feeling that same yearning she’d felt during the ceremony.

The thought was still fresh in her mind when Oliver approached her towards the end of the song. “Hey wife,” he greeted her.

“Hello, husband.”

“Care to dance?” He held out his hand to her and with his eyebrow lifted, he made quite the charming figure. Felicity couldn’t hide her grin as she accepted his hand.

“Lead the way.”

Other couples, in addition to the two of them, joined the bride and groom on the dance floor. The song was slow, old-fashioned and romantic. Felicity tried not to thrill too much at the feel of Oliver holding her but her defenses were weak after an afternoon of celebrating love. It didn’t hurt that he was looking at her like she hung the moon as they moved together.

When the song ended, Oliver reached up to cup her face in his hands. Felicity was breathless as he smiled softly down at her. He tipped her face up and bent towards her, kissing her so sweetly. It was chaste and soft and Felicity felt her heart stumble inside her chest. Did this mean she was wrong after all and he _did_ have feelings for her? Maybe she’d misread him. Maybe he was falling just like she was and the romance of the day had swept him up, just like it had her. Maybe he couldn’t wait another moment to hold her and kiss her. Maybe…

He drew back and his eyes were twinkling as he smiled down at her. Then, she noticed him glance ever so subtly over her left shoulder. Then, he bent down again but this time, his head dipped to the side so that his lips were next to her ear.

“Very convincing indeed,” he told her in a low voice. “My mother is watching us, my aunt too. They both bought it, I can tell by the looks on their faces.”

Felicity’s heart dropped. This time, when he pulled back and smiled at her, she felt none of the warmth from before. Instead, she felt cold and empty. It’d just been for show. Of course. Why the hell had she expected anything different? That’s what she was here for, after all, to convince his mother that they were a normal married couple in love with one another. Nothing more.

She stepped away from him, ducking her head in hopes of hiding her flaming cheeks. He didn’t need to know how she’d foolishly gotten her hopes up. “Smart thinking,” she told him.

He got her a drink from the bar next, something fruity with an umbrella in it and she took it back to the table, telling him to feel free to go mingle, talk with Tommy, whatever. She watched him meet Tommy over at the bar. The two ordered drinks and talked, laughing occasionally. She watched the dancers after that, smiling at Robert and Moira as they swayed together and then, with the next song, danced to the more upbeat sounds of Katy Perry.

Felicity picked at her cake and sipped her drink and enjoyed being off her feet and watching the guests having fun for a while. She was actually enjoying herself, she thought. Until she noticed something that had her breath catching in her throat.

Oliver was over by the bar again, after having danced with Thea for a song. But he wasn’t alone. Amanda was standing in front of him, holding the bouquet that she’d caught and leaning against the bar as she talked to him. Felicity could tell from the other woman’s body language that she was flirting with Oliver, the way she curved towards him and kept touching his arm and laughing at whatever it was he was saying. She couldn’t quite see Oliver’s face, but she could see that he wasn’t moving away from her. And Amanda looked nothing short of completely into him. Surely he saw that, right? He could see what she was doing and how it looked to everyone else in the room. Even if he didn’t care what Felicity thought, shouldn’t he care what his parents might think? Or any of these other guests?

Rage, hurt, confusion, heartbreak… all those emotions warred within her, fighting for dominance. Suddenly, she realized she was feeling ill with what she was witnessing and she shoved aside her cake and drink. She got to her feet, not sure where she was going. She had half a mind to march up to Amanda, yank that bouquet out of her hands and smack her over the head with it. Maybe she could grab Oliver’s hand and drag him away. Maybe she could launch herself at him, kiss him, stake her claim on him.

But no, she knew she couldn’t do any of that. Still, she couldn’t just sit there like some rejected wallflower, watching another woman openly flirt with her husband. Clenching her teeth, she pushed to her feet and headed towards the beach, intending to walk back to the bungalow. The party was winding down anyhow and surely Thea would understand her leaving a little early. And if the Queens noticed her early departure and asked Oliver about it? Then it was what he deserved to have to explain it to them.

She’d made it partway down the beach, headed in the direction of the bungalows, when she heard a voice calling her name. It wasn’t Oliver… it was Tommy. Sighing, she stopped and slowly turned around. Tommy jogged up to her, concern on his face.

“Hey, where are you going? Is something wrong?” he asked.

“I’m tired, I was just going to go lay down,” she lied, jerking a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the bungalows.

“You look upset,” he said, pressing on. “What happened? Did someone say something to you? Where is Oliver?”

“Tommy…”

“Tell me what the doofus said and I’ll go smack him on the back of the head for you.”

“He didn’t _say_ anything.”

“Okay, then he _did_ something. What was it?”

Felicity realized that Tommy wasn’t going to let this go. The man could be like a dog with a bone, she’d learned. And he was weirdly protective of her since she’d married Oliver. Almost like he considered her a little sister or something. Most times she found it rather cute but at the moment she found it distinctly annoying.

“It was Amanda, okay?” she finally blurted, crossing her arms over her chest. “She was flirting with him at the bar and he… he wasn’t… just, let it go, okay Tommy?”

A dark look crossed his features. “What wasn’t he doing, Felicity?”

“He wasn’t… pushing her away.” Felicity _hated_ how her voice wobbled. It made it sound like she was hurt. Which… okay, she was hurt. But she wasn’t sure she wanted Tommy knowing that. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I mean, it’s okay, he’s free to do what he wants. But that’s not exactly being discrete and we agreed on him being discrete… and his parents are there. We’re supposed to be convincing them.”

Tommy was watching her with the softest look on his face and it made her feel uneasy. “Felicity…”

“Look, it’s no big deal, okay?”

“It _is_ a big deal,” he argued. “I can see that it is. Listen, I’m _sure_ it’s not like what you saw.”

Felicity shrugged her shoulders and started walking backwards, away from him. “Whatever. I don’t care. I’ve got a headache so I’m gonna go back to the bungalow. Tell Oliver where I went if you see him, okay?”

Before Tommy could respond, she turned around and quickly hurried down the beach and away from the reception. Away from Oliver and Amanda and Tommy and anything that could possibly make her feel worse than she did right in that moment.

***

It was getting dark outside and Oliver realized it’d been a while since he’d seen Felicity. She was at the table having a drink earlier but she wasn’t there any longer. Oliver didn’t want to look like he didn’t know where she was but at the same time, he couldn’t keep from scanning around for her. Maybe she was in the bathroom? But if so, she’d been in there quite a while.

Oliver was debating asking Thea to go see if she was in there when his mother approached him. His father was with her.

“Oliver, sweetie, we’re headed back to our room for the night. I wanted to say goodnight to you and Felicity,” she said. Then she looked around. “Where is your wife?”

“Uhm, she’s… in the ladies room,” Oliver said, hoping that was true.

“Maybe she saw you flirting with that other bridesmaid and got jealous,” his father said, leveling him with a look.

A sick feeling settled in his gut. Oliver had a feeling that was exactly what had happened. But he forced himself to appear unaffected to his parents. “I wasn’t flirting with Amanda,” Oliver said, giving his father a firm look. “She was probably flirting with me, but I told her she’d had too much to drink and walked away.”

His mother seemed appeased by this and his father looked nearly impressed. Lovely to see they had so much faith in him, but he couldn’t argue that their suspicions about him weren’t well-founded. He’d been quite the dog before Felicity came along.

His parents left soon after that and Oliver ditched his plan of having Thea check out the restroom. Instead, he found Tommy. It wasn’t difficult because Tommy was already looking for him.

“What did you do?” his friend asked. There was little teasing in his tone and a healthy dose of accusation.

“What the hell do you mean?” Oliver asked. “Have you seen Felicity?”

Tommy took his arm and lead him out from under the pavilion roof, so they could have some privacy. “Did you flirt with Amanda in front of her and the rest of the guests here? Your _parents_?”

Word got around fast, Oliver thought. Was the whole party talking about this? Then, the implication finally got through to him. “Did Felicity hear that?”

“Hear it? She _saw_ it.”

“How do you know?”

“She told me.” Tommy glared at him.

“Wait, you talked to her? You know where she is? Tell me, I can go talk to her, clear this up.”

His friend sighed heavily. “Yes, I saw her. I saw her hurry out of the reception and I chased after her because I could tell she was upset. She definitely saw you, Oliver, and she’s coming to some pretty awful conclusions all on her own.”

Oliver licked his lips, dread settling in his veins like a dead weight. “Tommy, tell me. Where is she?”

“She was trying to make it sound like she was upset that you weren’t being discrete, that you were blowing your cover. But I could tell she was hurt. It was _more_ than just possible humiliation and exposure.”

 _Fuck_. “What are you saying, Tommy?”

“She has feelings for you. And she thinks that you don’t have any for her. And seeing evidence of that _hurt her_.”

“It’s not… I don’t—” Oliver cut himself off and swore, running a hand through his hair. “Where did she go?”

“The bungalow. She wanted me to tell you she had a headache and was turning in early.”

Oliver was already walking away before Tommy even finished speaking.

“Fix it, Oliver!” he called after him.

He didn’t know if he could fix it but his heart was pounding in his ears as he hurried down the beach towards the bungalows. Things had been building up all week long and he’d thought that last night was the culmination of that. He’d thought, wrongly, that the tension had been released and they were past it. But he was so wrong and now Felicity had the wrong idea and regardless of whether Tommy was right about her feelings or not, she was upset. And it was his fault.

So that’s what Oliver focused on as he hurried down the beach. He’d made her upset so he needed to try to fix that, to make her not upset any longer. He couldn’t allow himself to hope that she had feelings for him. He had to set that notion aside so that he could… _fix this_. He didn’t deserve her love, he knew that. And tonight was just more evidence of that.

Standing outside the door to their bungalow, Oliver felt his nerves flare. What if she didn’t want to talk to him? What if he made things _worse_? What if he’d already lost her friendship forever? Taking a deep breath, he swallowed down those fears and opened the door with his keycard, letting himself inside.

He didn’t see Felicity right away, but he heard some sounds coming from the bathroom area. A moment later, she popped out, wearing a robe. Her her hair was down, curling around her shoulders, and she was clearly in the middle of getting changed out of her dress and getting ready for bed. And, by the startled look on her face, she was _not_ expecting to see him. Her mouth popped open, her eyes were wide… She stilled, freezing where she stood.

“Felicity, let me explain,” he said. He stepped towards her but noticed how her expression tightened and he stopped, keeping a few feet between them. “I know you saw Amanda flirting with me.”

It was like watching a wall come down between them. Felicity’s expression totally shuttered and she turned her face away from him. “Yes, I did.” She moved over to the bed where her dress lay. She must have tossed it there when she took it off. Oliver watched as she picked it up and moved back into the bathroom where the closet was, presumably to hang it up.

He followed after her. “I wasn’t flirting back.”

He heard her sigh and a moment later, she came out of the closet, stopping just inside the doorway, still keeping feet between them. “You weren’t telling her to stop, were you?”

“No,” he said and winced a little. “I just… I didn’t even think much of what she was doing. I wasn’t thinking about _her_ , Felicity.”

“Well you should have been!” she countered. “Your parents were there, watching. What’s the point of this ‘show’ you and I have been putting on if you’re gonna just throw it all away cuz some ditzy young brunette is stroking your ego?”

“I didn’t see it like that,” he told her, his jaw clenched. “She was talking and I… well, I was barely listening, to be honest. It was just a few minutes.”

“She had her hands all over you.”

Had she? “I’m sorry, Felicity, I didn’t really notice—”

“You _should_ notice! I came all this way with you, we’re doing this to prove to your parents and your family that we’re a legitimate couple. You _need_ to notice these things!” Color filled her cheeks and her lips quivered. As upset as she was, Oliver couldn’t help but think she looked stunning like this, emotion adding a blush to her cheeks and making her eyes snap.

“I know and I’m sorry. I promise, I’m sorry. I’ll do better.” He took a breath deciding to throw caution to the wind. “But is that the only reason you’re upset?”

Her brows drew together. “Why else would I be upset?”

“I don’t know, you tell me. Because what Amanda was doing was so mild, Felicity. No one noticed it.” He bit his cheek to keep from revealing that his parents had mentioned it. First, he needed to douse this fire, then he could tell her that.

Felicity shifted her shoulders, an uncomfortable gesture that he recognized. “I just… It felt pretty disrespectful, Oliver.”

They were getting to the point, he realized. “To you?” he asked, softly.

She looked away again but then her eyes were drawn back to him. “Yeah. To me. I’m supposed to be your wife.”

Oliver couldn’t fight the scoff that burst out of his throat. “Sure. Okay. But that’s not us, right?”

“This was always just an arrangement. We had a contract and everything.”

“Yeah, and how many items on that contract have we completely blown, Felicity? No shows of affection in public beyond hugs? No living together? No disclosure to other people?”

“What’s your point, Oliver?”

“Permission to date other people was also in that contract. So why would seeing Amanda flirt with me upset you this much?”

“If I recall, that item also cautioned discretion. That display was not very discrete.”

“And I’ve told you that no one cared, so let me ask, Felicity. Is this about you being jealous?”

She stopped and stared at him, her eyes snapping angrily. “Jealous?? Are you kidding me? About what?”

“That’s what it looks like to me,” he told her, stepping closer.

“You have a lot of nerve, Oliver,” she growled, meeting him step for step.

“No, if I had nerve, I would have done this days ago.” He moved towards her and was surprised when she met him halfway. Her hands went right to his head, mirroring his which anchored in her her hair. They came together in a clash, teeth bumping and they each groaned, as much out of pain as anything else. But it was a pain he welcomed because  _at last_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those that have asked and who WILL ask... yes Amanda flirted with Oliver at the reception because of what she learned before the wedding. Very much on purpose. Not that Oliver noticed. He's changed and his mind is already full of Felicity. He wasn't responding to Amanda at all, but Felicity couldn't see that. Sadly, her insecurities got the better of her after an emotional day! Anyhow. Just to clear that up. ;)


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We continue on from the last chapter... and all that entails. But what happens afterwards?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW you guys! The response to the last chapter was amazing. I love everything you all had to say and really hope you like this chapter too. I worked hard on it. ;) 
> 
> Speaking of which, I'm bumping up the rating as of this chapter. Be advised. Maybe don't read this chapter at your desk at work or on the bus or in front of your kids or whatever. 
> 
> And ...uhm... don't hate me?

_“This was always just an arrangement. We had a contract and everything.”_

_“Yeah, and how many items on that contract have we completely blown, Felicity? No shows of affection in public beyond hugs? No living together? No disclosure to other people?”_

_“What’s your point, Oliver?”_

_“Permission to date other people was also in that contract. So why would seeing Amanda flirt with me upset you this much?”_

_“If I recall, that item also cautioned discretion. That display was not very discrete.”_

_“And I’ve told you that no one cared, so let me ask, Felicity. Is this about you being jealous?”_

_She stopped and stared at him, her eyes snapping angrily. “Jealous?? Are you kidding me? About what?”_

_“That’s what it looks like to me,” he told her, stepping closer._

_“You have a lot of nerve, Oliver,” she growled, meeting him step for step._

_“No, if I had nerve, I would have done this days ago.” He moved towards her and was surprised when she met him halfway. Her hands went right to his head, mirroring his which anchored in her her hair. They came together in a clash, teeth bumping and they each groaned, as much out of pain as anything else. But it was a pain he welcomed because_ at last.

 

Any discomfort was forgotten an instant later as their bodies came together and moved, curving in on one another. Oliver tore his mouth from Felicity’s on a groan, leaning his forehead against hers as they both panted for breath.

“I’m sorry,” he gasped. “We shouldn’t—”

But Felicity just tightened her hand in his hair and pulled him closer to her and he couldn’t resist capturing her lips again. He moaned and she answered it with one of her own, a sound that set his blood to boiling. They weren’t drunk this time, not even close. But the desire he felt now, with her in his arms, was no less than it’d been the night before.

This time, Felicity was the one who drew back and Oliver was so taken aback that he released her. She stumbled back a few steps, her fingers already at her lips. Her eyes were dark but she didn’t look away.

“Oliver… what’s happening?” she asked, her voice shaky.

“I want you, Felicity,” he admitted. “I can’t deny that anymore. And I’m pretty sure you want me too.”

“I do,” she said. “I’ve tried to fight that but… And it’s stupid because that’s not what we are. We both got into this because we don’t want relationships. Is that… is that still true?”

Oliver wasn’t sure exactly what to say. “I… it’s not about what I want, Felicity. I _can’t_ be in a relationship. I’m no good at them, I ruin—” He broke off, not wanting to get into it because that would require dragging up a past that he would far rather forget.

Felicity looked as though she was considering what he said. She nodded slowly to herself. “That’s okay, Oliver. You don’t need to say. I— I have my reasons too.”

“I’m sorry I kissed you.”

“I kissed you too,” she pointed out. “And I liked it.”

“I liked it too,” he admitted.

Felicity stepped up to him, reaching out to run a hand up his arm. She palmed his shoulder before running that hand up his neck, cupping the back of his head. She was so close, lifted up on her toes, hovering right before him. Oliver scarcely dared to breathe.

“Stop me if you don’t want this,” she whispered before pressing a kiss to his jaw.

“I can’t,” he whispered back. Dipping his head, he kissed her softly on the mouth, just a small kiss. He drew back for a moment, just a slight hesitation, the span of a heartbeat. And then… they came together. Lips devouring, tongues tasting, arms clasping one another.

***

The kiss went on and on and on… Felicity’s memories of the night before were hazy and indistinct but she did recall how Oliver’s kisses had made her feel lightheaded and euphoric. This was no different. In fact, it was even _more_ because she was entirely present in the moment. There was no alcohol clouding her judgement or her emotions or the physical sensations that were crowding her.

Oliver held her tightly to him, an arm banded around her back, the other around her shoulders to bury a hand in her hair, tilting her head so he could kiss her so deeply that Felicity could feel the intensity of this kiss clear down in her toes. Her own hands were far from idle. She could feel the play of muscles in his back, rippling under her fingers as she clung to him. She brought one of her hands down to his waist, feeling where his shirt met the waistband of the sandy colored suit he wore. He’d discarded the jacket at the reception and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, rolling up the sleeves as well to give him a cool, casual look. But right then, Felicity wasn’t interested in what he was wearing. She was far more interested in what his skin felt like underneath those layers.

With a few tugs, she pulled the shirt from the waistband and pressed her fingertips under the light material, feeling the warm skin of his back. As she kissed Oliver back with all the passion that was building up inside of her, she drew gentle circles against that small strip of skin, enjoying how the touch made him gasp into her mouth.

“I want you,” he muttered against her lips. He was moving backward, pulling her with him. “Please…”

She didn’t answer him, but moved with him readily, giving him her answer with her body, the way she curved into him, groaning into each hungry kiss, throwing her head back as his lips traveled up her cheek, toying with the lobe of her ear. He sucked on the skin just under her ear, making her gasp out his name. She wanted this too. All the reasons why this was such a monumentally poor idea that she knew still existed fell away, disappearing like dust in the wind.

Oliver stumbled as he moved backward and their teeth clacked together. It didn’t slow them down, however, because he kept steering them towards the bed. Finally, he found the edge of it and sat down, pulling her onto his lap. His arms enveloped her, holding her close and she carded her hands through his hair as she sipped at his lips.

“Felicity,” he groaned as his lips moved down to her neck, sucking at the tender skin there. He moved to here shoulder, his fingers coasting up her back. She wanted the barriers between them gone, she wanted to feel more of him and wanted him to feel her.

She reached between them to the knot of the robe belt and began to pull at it. Oliver noticed what she was doing and knocked her hands out of the way, attacking the knot himself. Undeterred, she worked on the buttons of his shirt instead, pausing now and then to press kisses to his neck and upper chest. God, he was so hard and warm and he smelled _really_ good…

Oliver finally got the knot in her robe loose and he wasted no time in pushing the fabric apart and off her shoulders, exposing her upper half to his hungry gaze. With a groan, his lips descended on his shoulder, and down over the top of her breasts, taking an extra moment in the cleavage between to inhale her scent and taste her with his tongue. A hand moved along her flank, teasing the underside of her breasts before testing the weight of one in his warm palm. Felicity shivered as she finished unbuttoning his shirt and giving it the same treatment he’d given her robe. Then, she pressed herself against him, delighting in the feel of his body against hers, skin against skin, warming her against the slight evening breeze wafting in through the open windows and doors to the deck beyond their room.

“Ah, god. Felicity,” Oliver murmured, kissing along her neck before capturing her lips once more.

The roughness of his voice, the scratch of his stubble, even the strength of his fingers was driving her crazy. Felicity circled her hips, grinding down on Oliver’s lap, feeling where his arousal was already evident and only growing harder and longer the more she moved on him. The friction felt fantastic, his bulge just barely hitting her where she needed it the most.

“Oliver,” she groaned, digging her nails into his scalp and back where she gripped him tightly. He answered her with a low growling sound and a moment later, she was in the air. He was up and turning, spinning them both and Felicity found herself on her back on the bed, Oliver positioned over her. He grinned down at her before swooping down to kiss her again, stealing her senses as he ground his hips against hers, making her buck into him.

She whined but he swallowed the sound greedily. His tongue stroked hers and each thrust ratcheted up her arousal until she was writhing and moaning, needing more. Oliver finally leaned back but he didn’t go far; his body was still pressed against hers, his legs resting between hers. He brushed strands of hair away from her face, his fingers soft and gentle and his eyes even more tender.

“Are you sure?” he asked her hoarsely. “I don’t want to push you…”

“You’re not,” she assured him. “I want this.” And she did. Her heart was pounding and she thought she might lose her mind if he didn’t continue.

He searched her eyes, looking for the truth behind her words. Finally, he nodded and bent his head to press a kiss to her lips. Then, he drew back. Felicity was about to protest until she saw him drawing the robe away from the rest of her body. She still wore her underwear, a lacy white pair that had his blue eyes heating as he looked at her. Shaking his head and biting his lip, his hands went to the button of his trousers and now it was Felicity’s turn to look.

She watched as he pushed off his shoes and socks. Then he stood and pushed his trousers down, letting them fall to the ground. He wore boxer briefs underneath but they did nothing to hide his arousal; she could see the outline of his cock clearly as it pushed against the confines of the material. Biting her lip, she tried to hide her eager smile as he pushed the underwear off as well.

_Holy frack_. So, she’d always suspected that Oliver was well-endowed and even just now, seeing the outline of his erection in his boxers, she’d known he wasn’t _small_ , but… wow. The man was blessed. And, come to think of it, so was she since she was about to get the full benefit of that magnificent manhood herself.

Oliver caught her eye and grinned; he’d clearly seen her gaping. She refused to be embarrassed, though. Not now. “Congratulations on that,” she told him, lifting an eyebrow.

“Thank you,” he replied, amused. “Now, it’s time to catch you up.”

He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed his fingers along her waist and down to the band of her underwear. Goosebumps broke out on her skin, but not from feeling cold. His touch had her breathless and he hadn’t even reached the part of her that was yearning for him yet. Catching her lip between her teeth, Felicity watched as he slowly drew the fabric down over her hips. She lifted a little to help him, enjoying how his gaze darkened even more when the last of her body was finally revealed to him.

“Damn, Felicity,” he murmured. “You are fucking perfect.”

That little compliment had her cheeks warming and her smile growing. He answered her smile as he moved over her once more. But, before he kissed her again, he paused.

“Oh… I forgot condoms,” he said. “I have some in my toiletry bag—”

“There’s some in the night table drawer,” Felicity told him. “I found them there the day we got here.”

Oliver blinked. “Seriously? They put condoms in the nightstand?”

She grinned. “Yes, they did. Handy, huh?”

“I’ll say,” he muttered, leaning across her to fetch one out for them.

Felicity grabbed it before he could open the packet. “Allow me,” she said. Oliver moved back, settling on his knees between her legs. He helped her sit up and then she tore open the little foil package. He watched her as she fit the condom onto his cock, the flushing of his cheeks the most obvious sign that he enjoyed her touch on this part of his body. Once he was covered, she decided she wanted to get more of a reaction out of him and she stroked him a few times, varying the pressure and speed of her fingers as she touched him, squeezed him.

Oliver gasped and grabbed for her wrists, stilling her movements. “Please… I won’t last if you keep that up.”

Felicity pouted, mostly for effect and he chuckled. And then he kissed her… soundly, completely, passionately. All thought was swept from her mind and she felt his hands all over her as he kissed her. Her breasts, her stomach, her hips… then she felt him finally touch her at her apex. She had to bite her lip, hard, to keep from making a loud noise.

But, frack, it felt so good when his thick digit swept through her folds, softly stroking her most intimate flesh. She knew she was wet already, just from his kisses alone. He circled her entrance, gathering her arousal and spreading it around. His finger dipped inside of her and she heard him groan softly.

“Fuck, you’re so soft and wet,” he murmured. Then he kissed her again. He kept touching her as he kissed her and Felicity felt overwhelmed and surrounded by him in the best way possible. He continued to plunge his finger into her, using his thumb now to strum her clit. As she thrust her hips towards his touch, he added a second finger, kissing away her gasp. His fingers moved faster, deeper, harder and soon Felicity was crying out, grabbing at his head and his back and his arms as he drove her to the edge and over.

The orgasm took her by complete surprise; Felicity didn’t normally come that quickly. But Oliver touched her like he’d been doing it for years, learning her for _years_.He seemed to know how to make her unravel like a ball of wool and unravel she did. He watched her come apart, shaking and groaning and his lips tasted her skin as she clung to him, riding out the waves of pleasure.

When she opened her eyes, she saw he was still watching her. His eyes were dark and his lips were quirked in a smile. “That was gorgeous,” he told her.

“You’re not finished,” she reminded him.

“Not even close,” he agreed.

He reached down between them to take ahold of his cock and she felt his knuckles brush against where she was still buzzing and sensitive. She sucked in a breath and arched her back. Oliver pressed kisses to her collar bone, nuzzling her neck as he rubbed the tip of his dick between her folds, nudging her clit on every other pass. He was building back up her arousal and it was working brilliantly. Sensation sizzled along her nerves, her skin flushed, her hips wriggled underneath Oliver’s weight and her back arched. She clutched at his shoulders.

“Oliver… please...”

Oliver was always good at heeding what she wanted. Slowly, he began to push inside her. He was large and the stretch was more than anything she’d experienced before. But he moved slowly and carefully, giving her a chance to breathe and adjust. He kept kissing along her neck, keeping her soft and wanting.

When he was fully seated inside her, his hips pressing against hers, Oliver kissed her deeply. His lips moved slowly, mimicking how his hips slowly pulled back before pushing back in. She kissed him back, nipping at his lips, tangling her tongue with his. Her hands smoothed over his back, the warm, firm skin there, feeling the muscles bunch and release as he continued his measured thrusting.

Felicity had never had sex like this before. It’d never before felt like opening her soul as well as her body. She’d never felt so cared for, even with Cooper back in college. She’d thought Coop loved her, the way she loved him. But what happened later made her question that. And now, feeling how Oliver touched her and kissed her and worshiped her body with his own… she wondered even more.

She needed something more and scarcely knew what it was. But there was a restlessness in her that caused her to push at his shoulder. Oliver seemed to know and he rolled them, moving her easily so that she was on top of him, straddling him. The angle of penetration changed, deepened, hit a spot inside of her that her ripping her mouth from his and gasping his name. Felicity arched back, lifting her chest from his and his hands immediately went to her breasts. He rubbed them, plucking at the nipples with his fingers as she stroked his wrists with her own fingers. He was so strong but he was touching her so gently, stoking her pleasure instead of causing her discomfort.

Nothing had ever felt this good. It brought tears to her eyes because she realized, there in that perfect moment, that this was fleeting.

She covered his body with hers once more, pressing her chest to his, kissing his shoulders and his neck and his jaw… moving to his lips as her hips circles and his pushed up. They moved together in perfect sync and the sound of his breathless pants, his small moans of pleasure, was music to her ears.

Oliver’s rhythm sped up and she knew that he was craving a release. She went to reach between their bodies, to find her clit and help propel herself to the edge so they could topple over together. But Oliver stopped her, knocking aside her hand and replacing it with his own.

“I’m close,” she gasped.

“I know, baby,” he replied, just as breathless as she was. “Let go for me, let me feel you come around me.”

He circled her clit and then rubbed it, matching his touch with the thrusting of his hips. Felicity sped up her own movements, chasing that beautiful tension that grew and built within her, tightly coiling. She was saying something, chanting… it was probably Oliver’s name, but he was gasping hers back, right into her ear. They held onto one another as released poured over them, their bodies giving over to the pleasure as they rode out the waves together.

Felicity collapsed on top of Oliver and he held her there as he shook a little with his own aftershocks of pleasure. She could feel him kissing the side of her head, murmuring soft little affirmations. The words didn’t matter, only the nearness of him. She rested her head on his chest, listening to the thump of his heart under her ear. His arms were warm around her, holding her close.

After several long moments like that, Oliver finally eased her off of him. He got up to dispose of the condom and wash up briefly and then he returned, giving her a quick turn in the restroom. When she came back to the bed, he was already underneath the covers and he didn’t even lift his head from the pillow. He just pulled back the blankets and Felicity smiled and climbed in beside him.

There was a lot they needed to talk about and she felt a pang of fear at the thought of having that conversation with him. But right then, all they had to do was sleep and she wanted that more than anything else. She wanted to feel safe and warm and together with him before reality woke them in the morning.

His arms came around her and pulled her back against him. She felt the heat of his body warm her and relaxed into it, letting his bicep pillow her head. Their legs tangled together, smooth against rough and Felicity let her foot rub against his shin before she settled against him. Oliver pressed another kiss to the side of her head before nuzzling into the hair at the back at her head. She drifted off to sleep like that, content and sated, wishing it could always be like this.

***

It wasn’t the sun that woke him that next morning. All week long, he’d gotten used to a shaft of sunlight piercing through the windows and waking him up, whether he wanted it to or not. He couldn’t put his finger on what was waking him, only that drowsiness threatened to suck him down again. He felt heavy and warm and rested and he wanted to hold onto that feeling just a little longer…

When Oliver blinked his eyes open, he wasn’t sure if he’d dozed off again or not. Instead of a bright room, he noticed the light was muted. In fact, a cooler breeze was blowing in and he thought he heard rain. It hadn’t rained a drop since they’d arrived on Motu Nui, but the staff had warned that it was a possibility. Of course, his sister had argued that it wouldn’t _dare_ rain on her wedding day. And it hadn’t.

But it looked like the day after was fair game. The light that filled the bungalow was grey and moody and moist. That was fine by him. There were no more wedding activities to take part in, no more meddling from his younger sister… no more _need_ for meddling either. He and Felicity had finally taken their relationship to the next step last night and now they were free to just spend the day in bed with one another if they wanted to.

And Oliver _definitely_ wanted to.

They could order in some breakfast… or lunch, depending on what time it was. Maybe they could even do a repeat of the hot tub skinny dip later on… He smiled to himself, imagining it. Yes, they could finally take advantage of the romance of this resort together. It was amazing how good he felt about it.

Oliver stretched and reached out, expecting to find Felicity’s warmth cuddled under the blanket next to him. But his hand encountered nothing but an empty space.

He sat up in the bed, looking to where Felicity had slept. She wasn’t there. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, rubbing his eyes. He checked his phone on the night table and saw that it was nearly noon. He felt a buzz of pleasure as he recalled exactly what had exhausted him so thoroughly.

He and Felicity hadn’t had just the one time together. After dozing together for a bit, she’d woken him up with her mouth on him, her tongue teasing him back to arousal again. It hadn’t taken long at all before he was hard enough to drill nails and he could tell she’d wanted to bring him off with only her mouth. But Oliver had other plans and he’d flipped her over onto her back, rolled on a condom, and thrust into her. It’d been hard and fast and absolutely fantastic.

The next time had been when he’d woken her up, a few hours later. They’d been spooning together, her bare bottom pressed into his groin so that he’d woken up with his dick hard and nestled between the cheeks of her ass. God, that’d been a fucking dream come true. He hadn’t been able to resist rocking his hips a little, feeling that delicious tug and slide against her flesh. But then she’d pushed back on him, moaning a little and he’d known she was awake. It hadn’t taken much to reach for yet another condom, put it on, then slide into her, without changing their positions. It’d been slow and lazy and perfect and Felicity had come quietly but so strongly that the feel of her walls clamping so tightly on his dick had triggered his own release. She’d fallen back asleep almost right away and Oliver had been sleepy as well. He’d taken the condom off, tied the end and tossed it towards his bedside table before burying his face in Felicity’s neck and falling back into oblivion.

Oliver hadn’t even blinked an eye since then and he certainly hadn’t been aware of Felicity getting out of bed. He figured she’d wanted an early crack at the bathroom and was in the shower or the bathroom…

But a quick glance into the bathroom showed him she wasn’t in the tub or the shower. He got up and padded in there and found she wasn’t using the toilet either. From there, he checked the deck… He didn’t think she’d venture out there in the rain but he was starting to get a bad feeling and had to know for sure. Of course, she wasn’t there.

The bad feeling grew, making him feel nearly ill. He checked the closet and noticed something that had his heart sinking; her clothes and suitcase were gone. Hoping that all that meant was that she’d moved to another bungalow or room at the resort, Oliver hurried through a shower and getting dressed.

Rain was still pouring down as he ran out of the bungalow, headed towards the resort. The beaches were empty, which wasn’t surprising given the weather. But it leant the normally colorful and cheerful location a rather somber look that only added to his panicked feelings.

How had he just _slept_ while she got up, packed her things and left? And _why_ had she? Things had been so great last night, so much better than he could have ever imagined. Sure, they needed to talk some more but why would she just… run? Nothing made sense. He had to talk to her.

Oliver walked into the main building of the resort, where the restaurants were. Maybe she was having lunch or…

No sooner had he stepped inside than he saw his parents walking across the lobby, from one of the cafes. They noticed him right away and his mother lead the way over to where he stood, now rooted to the ground. What was he going to tell her?

“Oliver, there you are. I missed you leaving the reception last night,” his mother said. “Did you find Felicity?”

He swallowed thickly. “I did, but, uh… I guess I lost her again. Have you see her today? Maybe at lunch?” he asked.

Both his parents looked surprised at this. “You lost her again?” his father repeated.

“She’s not a terrier, Oliver,” his mother said, giving him a bit of a look.

“I know that, I just… I woke up and she wasn’t there so I was wondering if she’d gone to the resort. That’s all.” He downplayed the situation because he sure as hell wasn’t going to tell them more than that.

“No, we haven’t seen her.” His mother continued to look puzzled, giving him a strange look.

“But if we do, we’ll tell her you’re looking for her,” his father interjected.

“Thanks,” Oliver mumbled. “I, uh… better go grab some lunch. I’m, er… meeting Tommy later.”

“Oh, he’s in there,” his mother said, gesturing at the restaurant they’d just came from. “Maybe he’s seen your wife. He mentioned he was up early today when we spoke to him a few minutes ago.”

That was actually a great idea. Oliver said goodbye to his parents and rushed into the restaurant, indicating to the hostess that he was going to join his friend once he spotted Tommy across the room, seated next to a window overlook the rain-swept beach.

The hostess waved him through and Oliver hurried between the tables to where Tommy sat, sipping an iced tea and reading a newspaper. He dropped into the seat opposite him, startling his friend.

“Well, hello there, Oliver. Please, have a seat,” Tommy said once he’d recovered. He sat up, dropping the folded paper onto the table.

“Hey. Have you seen Felicity?” Oliver asked.

Tommy narrowed his eyes at him. “You know, I try to stay out of other people’s relationships, but I feel invested in the two of you, especially after this week. And after last night, I have to assume that you fucked up. Big time. So my question to you is; what the hell did you do, man?”

“What the hell do you mean?” Oliver demanded. He wasn’t expecting to get the third degree here.

“What I mean is the last time I saw you both last night, Felicity was upset over something _you_ did—”

“I did _not_ flirt with Amanda, I already explained that to you.”

“—and you were rushing off to try to fix things with her. I really thought that’s what you were going to do. I had faith in you, Oliver. But what do I find this morning when I came to the resort to use the gym?”

“What did you find?” Oliver demanded.

“I found the lovely Ms. Smoak—”

“Mrs. Queen to you, Merlyn.”

“—at the concierge desk requesting a boat to the main island. Apparently, she had a plane to catch.”

Oliver felt the blood drain from his face. “What?”

“She was leaving, Oliver. I tried to speak to her but it was clear she wasn’t in the mood. She looked pretty shaken up, from what I could tell. Then again, she had her sunglasses on, even with the rain, and I couldn’t see her eyes.”

Oliver felt the blood in his veins was turning to ice. “She was leaving?”

“Yes, keep up. Jesus. So I’m wondering, what did you do last night that she was tearing out of here first thing this morning?”

“Wait, how long ago was this?” Oliver asked urgently.

“Hours, Oliver. Aren’t you paying attention? It was… oh, probably about 7:30? So about five hours ago.”

His mind was racing. Depending on the flight schedule, she might still be in Fiji, waiting for the next plane. He didn’t have a moment to loose.

“I’ve gotta go,” he said, standing up.

Tommy stood up as well, putting a hand on his arm. “Listen, in all seriousness, she looked really rattled. I don’t know what was bugging her because she would not tell me and believe me, I asked. But I’m just assuming it’s something you did. Tread carefully there, okay? She deserves better.”

A pit settled in Oliver’s stomach, next to the one that had formed the moment he realized she wasn’t next to him in bed when he woke up. That was exactly what he was afraid of, that she deserved so much better than him.

But still, he couldn’t let her leave without talking to her. He told Tommy he’d keep him posted and hurried out of the resort and back to the bungalow to pack his suitcase. He had to get on the next boat to the main island. There was so much more at stake than some ruse for his parents or even their new sexual relationship… they were _friends_ and Oliver was realizing with gut-wrenching clarity that he could not lose that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hides* (oh come on, you had to see this coming)


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout of their night of passion in paradise is fully revealed. Where do they go from here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off: thank you so much for your feedback on the last chapter! I might have given you the stick with the carrot but most of you really enjoyed the carrot so I'm glad for that!
> 
> Unfortunately... there is more stick in this chapter. I'm sorry guys. So many of you were begging for the next chapter and I kept thinking to myself "they wouldn't do that if they knew what the next chapter held"... but it's an important development for them. They have to hit rock bottom before they can move up. And hopefully some motivations will become clearer this chapter (as well as another little goodie that some of you predicted but I think will surprise the heck out of most you!).i

The plane bumped in the air, causing Felicity to grab at her arm rest. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment but as she looked around, she noticed no one else looked alarmed and the flight attendants were even still walking down the aisle, offering beverages. Just some routine turbulence… nothing to be alarmed about.

Felicity might never be a calm flyer and flying alone only seemed to exacerbate the situation. She didn’t recall the flight from Starling to Fiji being quite this nerve wracking. She’d been with Oliver then, and he’d teased her and made her smile and generally distracted her from worrisome plane nonsense.

She blew out a breath and reminded herself that she was doing the right thing. It felt a lot like running away and she knew that’s what it looked like. But it was more than just that. This was an act of self preservation. And it was an act of mercy.

Now, Oliver wouldn’t have to try to pretend like sleeping with her wasn’t just a casual, one-off thing. After the night they’d shared, she couldn’t bear to see the pitying look in his eye when he saw just how smitten she was. She couldn’t listen to him tell her that he considered her a friend, but that was as far as things went between them. Even worse, that was as far as things _could go_ between them.

Before they’d leapt into one another’s arms, he’d confirmed that he wasn’t any good at relationships. He’d agreed with her that they’d gotten into this marriage specifically because they weren’t looking for a relationship. Oliver gave her zero indication that his opinion on that had changed, just because he wanted her.

She’d known it at the time. She’d accepted it. Felicity was a big girl, she made her own decisions and didn’t make a habit of looking back or regretting the things she chose to do. She slept with Oliver knowing that things with them could never go further.

Her only regret, if it could be called that, was that sleeping together had likely ruined whatever friendship they had. She knew that potential loss had been what held both of them back until last night. And Felicity was sad to lose it but she hadn’t felt the full breadth and width of that loss yet. It was as though the limb had been removed and her body was still in shock and not registering the full magnitude of of the loss quite yet. That would likely come later.

Felicity was running on an adrenaline cocktail of fear and self-preservation. That’s what had propelled her to leave Motu Nui a day early, without even letting Oliver know she was going. She checked her watch and calculated the time. It was just after noon, Fiji time. It was likely he was awake and had noticed her absence by now. Was he relieved not to have to deal with the inevitable awkward morning after? Probably. Looking at it that way, she was doing him a favor.

Oliver was too much of a gentleman to make her feel bad about what happened. Of that, she was absolutely certain. He’d make all the appropriate noises, hug her and reassure her and inside he’d be dying. He’d be regretting taking that step with her, of locking him into a relationship with her when he’d worked so hard to avoid that very thing.

The flight attendant stopped at her row and Felicity ordered a rosé wine from her. The drink was passed over with a smile and she happily accepted it. Sure, it was probably a bit early in the day to drink, but Felicity was fairly sure that didn’t apply to flying. Drinking alcohol was always acceptable when one was flying. If that wasn’t an actual thing, then she was going to make it one.

She sipped at the wine and looked out the window at the clouds passing underneath the plane. Everything was so peaceful up this high in the sky. It was easy to pretend like all her problems were left down on the ground, that they hadn’t followed her up here into the clouds.This way, she was free to either ignore what was going on or pick it apart until she felt justified.

Because the guilt over leaving the way she had was threatening to creep in. Felicity wondered what Moira might think when she learned about Felicity’s early departure. This could very well undo all the subterfuge they’d worked so hard to pass off all week long. On the other hand, was it really subterfuge after all? After all, they’d both eagerly fallen into bed with one another. Still, the Queen matriarch was certainly going to have an opinion about all this and Felicity hated to think of Oliver taking the brunt of it down on Motu Nui. There was also the niggling feeling that Oliver might be upset at her cowardly retreat and that gave her a good heaping of guilt as well. Maybe she should have left him a note or _something…_

Here, up above the clouds with the sun shining down, Felicity had to be honest with herself. She’d left mostly for her own sake.

Waking up in Oliver’s arms was even better than she’d imagined it would be. Not that she’d really allowed herself the indulgence of imagining it very much. Every time her thoughts would stray in that direction, she’d stopped herself. Because up until last night, she’d been sure Oliver hadn’t been attracted to her like that. In so many ways, their night together was a dream come true.

But Felicity had learned at a very young age that dreams weren’t meant to last. Her father left when she was so young and despite his promises that he’d come back, that he’d get her and bring her to live with him and teach her everything he knew about computers, he never did. Her mother had promised she’d never leave her but she was so busy trying to keep a roof over their heads, clothes on their backs and food in their tummies that she never had time to be around either. Felicity never blamed her for that. And in college, her boyfriend… Cooper didn’t keep his promises either. He promised to stop hacking that government website when she’d told him it was too dangerous. He’s promised he’d be okay when the FBI arrested him right there on campus, right in front of her. He’d promised her that they’d have the rest of their lives together. But then he hanged himself in prison.

Felicity learned over two decades of her life, that the only person she could really rely on was herself. She was the only person who’s promises she could believe. And even she wasn’t perfect. After all, she promised herself she wouldn’t fall in love with Oliver Queen and here she did it anyhow.

Oliver was nothing like she’d believe him to be when they’d first met. She thought he was a vapid, careless man who didn’t care about what broken hearts he left behind him. If he had been that man, Felicity would have had no trouble in keeping her heart. But he wasn’t what the press said he was at all. He was a strong, caring man who loved his friends and his family with his whole heart. He’d bend over backwards for someone, sacrifice his own comfort and needs, if he thought it was what they needed. And if he knew that she was in love with him, he’d stay with her.

He’d stay with her until he resented her and had to leave. Just like everyone else had left her, her whole life long. Or, perhaps even worse, he’d swallow that resentment and pretend like it wasn’t there. He’d deny himself true happiness, just to make her happy. And Felicity could not ask him to do that. She couldn’t _let_ him do that.

She couldn’t even bear to see him offer it to her.

As much as it broke her heart, she had to end this charade. Oliver never would, not as long as he thought she might have feelings for him, not as long as he still had hope that they hadn’t ruined their friendship by sleeping together. She couldn’t keep him shackled to this sham. She had to let him go.

Wiping a tear from her eye, she took another fortifying sip of her wine and kept staring out the plane window at those beautiful, perfect, peaceful clouds. For the next ten hours, at least, all those problems would remain down on the ground… waiting for her to land.

***

Oliver had raced to Fiji only to learn that there was only one flight out to the States a day, and it took off at 11 in the morning. That was, apparently, the flight Felicity had gotten on. She’d been gone before he’d even woken up.

It was three in the afternoon and he had a whole day to wait before he could take off.He checked into the airport hotel and spent that day mostly pacing and tearing his hair out. Figuratively speaking, of course. All he could think about was getting to Felicity as soon as possible. He needed to know why she’d left. What had he done to chase her away?

He calculated what time her plane would land in Starling City and figured it would be very early morning. Oliver debated calling her but changed his mind when he had the phone in his hand. He wanted to see her face when they spoke. Plus, he wasn’t entirely sure that she wouldn’t just ignore him if he did call.

The next day’s flight was the same one he and Felicity had originally been booked for. In fact, Tommy was on the same flight and had spoken to the gate agent to get his seat switched, since the one next to Oliver was now free.

Oliver wasn’t so sure how glad he was to have the company. On the one hand, Tommy provided a distraction. On the other hand, he was also a reminder of everything that went wrong. Even after Oliver made it clear that he didn’t want to talk about Felicity, he couldn’t stop thinking about running into Tommy at the reception, him telling Oliver that Felicity was upset…

And everything that had happened after _that_.

They slept for part of the trip; something that wasn’t difficult at all for Oliver to manage since he’d barely slept a wink at the airport hotel. Every time he closed his eyes, he pictured the night before with Felicity in his arms.

It’d been the most perfect night of pleasure that he’d ever experienced. Oliver didn’t like to brag about it, but he’d had plenty of experience over the years. More than he deserved, surely. Especially when that experience had come at the expense of his relationships. Relation _ship_. Singular. There was a reason he hadn’t been looking to get involved with anyone, he reminded himself.

But anything he’d experienced before with another woman had paled in comparison to what it was like to make love to Felicity. Her body had been so responsive to his and they’d moved together like it was something they’d been doing together for years. He didn’t think it was just because he hadn’t had a decent orgasm (much less one with someone else) in a good six months either. No, the bulk of the reason lay with her.

Which is what he wanted to be doing right then, instead of curled on that airline seat. Sure, it reclined into a bed and was better than sitting up. But the comparison was just depressing. Still, after a couple glass of whiskey helpfully provided by the flight attendant staff, he was able to fall asleep fairly easily and remain asleep for the rest of the flight.

After they landed and Oliver picked up his suitcase from baggage claim, he found John Diggle waiting out from with the town car. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask his driver and friend if he’d driven Felicity the day before as the other man took his bag and stowed it in the trunk of the car. But Dig’s furrowed brow answered his question for him.

“Where’s Felicity? I thought you two were flying together?” he asked as he opened the rear door for Oliver.

He waited until Dig was seated behind the wheel to answer. “We flew back separately.” He almost expected him to quiz him about that, about why she would come back without him. But he didn’t. Still, he couldn’t miss Dig’s speculative eye in the rear view mirror.

It was nearly 6 o’clock in the morning by the time they made it downtown from the airport. The sky was lightening in the east, casting every thing in a cold, silvery grey color. Oliver tried to remain calm, not to urge Dig to drive faster. A few minutes wasn’t going to make a difference now. She’d been home a whole day by now.

Dig dropped him off in front of the apartment building and Oliver hurried with his suitcase to the elevator. Their apartment was on one of the top floors so it was a long ride, but thankfully it was early enough that he had no company. It gave him a chance to rehearse in his mind what he was going to say to her. By the time he arrived at the apartment, he was feeling confident. All of that disappeared the moment he let himself inside and saw the state of their living room and kitchen.

Boxes were stacked neatly and looked to be mostly full. There had been pictures in frames on the shelving, and all of the ones Felicity had put there were gone. Her throw blanket that had taken up permanent residence on the sofa was gone. Even the throw rug that sat in front of the fireplace was rolled up, leaning against a stack of boxes. He was still staring in shock when Felicity came walking out of her bedroom.

It looked like she’d just woken up; her hair was tousled, her face clean of makeup and she was wearing pajamas and her robe. She was blinking at him, looking a bit disoriented.

“Oliver? I wasn’t expecting you back yet,” she said.

That much was pretty damn clear.“I caught our original plane back,” he said. “It was the first one available.”

“I guess… I thought you’d be longer at the airport or go straight to the office or something. I thought I’d be at work by the time you got here. I must have missed an hour or two there.”

“Felicity, what’s going on here?” he asked her, gesturing at the boxes. “And why did you leave yesterday without saying anything?”

A look he’d never seen on her before crossed her face. Her brow creased and for the slightest moment, her face crumpled. But she gathered herself and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t leave you a note… I’m moving out,” she told him, still not meeting his eye.

“Look at me, please,” he said. Her eyes shot to his and he saw that her blue-grey eyes were red rimmed, her nose swollen and red as well. Had she been crying? “Why?”

Felicity looked away, rolling her shoulders and looking uncomfortable. “Oliver… I think we both know why.”

“Is this because we made love?”

She jerked at his words, as though he’d hit her. She walked around him, to the windows. “It’s because we had sex, yes. We crossed too many lines, Oliver. This arrangement… it’s just not working out anymore.”

Oliver felt scared. “So you’re moving out? Where will you go?”

“My old apartment. I kept the lease on it.” Felicity shrugged and turned back around to meet his eye again. She looked more fortified than she had a moment again.

“But… you’re not telling me _why_.”

“This was never meant to be a relationship, Oliver,” she reminded him. “We even put that in the contract. I went into this marriage wanting to avoid romantic entanglements while getting my board and my mother off of my back about my love life. I’m pretty sure that’s what you wanted too.”

“It was,” he agreed, speaking slowly.

“You told me… that night we were… together… that you can’t be in a relationship. I understood that when we slept together. But, I’m not naive. I also understand that now that we’ve had sex, we can’t go back to the partnership we had before.”

“We can’t?”

She shook her had and looked so sad that he wanted to pull her close and hug her. “We can’t. And I don’t want to ask you to have to be someone that I know you don’t want to be.”

 _Wait, what?_ “Felicity? What are you talking about?”

“You would stay here, in this marriage with me, if I wanted you to. I bet you’d even keep sleeping with me, maybe even give me a marriage more like what we’ve been trying to sell to everyone. But you’d hate it because that’s not what you want, its not who you are.”

“Felicity, no. You have it all wrong,” he told her, feeling the panic start to edge in. But did she have it wrong? Wasn’t that exactly who he was? And wasn’t avoiding relationships exactly why he’d gotten into this marriage agreement with her in the first place? One night of amazing sex had turned his head completely around and filled him with all these romantic notions. But underneath all of that, he still believed he ruined those he was involved with. He was a selfish, horrible man and he’d made his peace with that years ago. Trying to hold onto Felicity now was just more of the same, for him. It was selfish.

She smiled at him, a little ruefully, as though she could understand what he was thinking. “I don’t. And I don’t want you to ignore that part of yourself and resent me later on. I don’t want you to hate me.”

Okay, _that_ is where she was wrong. “I could never hate you,” he argued.

“You would. If I asked you to be someone you aren’t,” she replied. Her eyes were damp, filling with tears but she blinked them back. “And I couldn’t bear that. This, right now, isn’t easy. But it’s easier than dealing with that later on down the road.”

Oliver wanted so badly to argue with her. But a little voice was telling him that this was for the best. That if he kept her from leaving, he’d just end up ruining her, just like he’d ruined Laurel. He could not let that happen to her.

“So what now?” he asked, feeling the prick of tears behind his own eyes. Why did this feel like cutting off one of his own limbs?

“I’ve already filed for the divorce,” she told him. He stared, shocked, as she crossed to the kitchen and picked up a packet of papers off the kitchen island. She handed it to him. “You can tell your family whatever you want to, I’ll let you control the narrative here.”

His mouth was completely dry as he looked at the papers. Dissolution of Marriage. “Wow,” he breathed. “You move fast.”

Felicity smiled a little then. “Yeah, well, I had lots of time to kill yesterday after I got back home. I still was on vacation so I thought I’d get some housekeeping taken care of.” She nodded towards the papers. “You have 90 days to contest, but I don’t see why you would. Just sign them and turn them in. You can look over them, of course, but everything is as we agreed on in our contract. Our belongings remain our own, etcetera and so forth.”

Oliver wanted to yell that he didn’t want this. He didn’t want _any_ of this. He didn’t want a divorce, he didn’t want her to move out… he wanted them to keep on having movie nights and keep spending time together and most of all, he wanted to take her to bed again. He wanted to do that right now, bring her to his room and make love to her for hours and hours until she forgot all about divorces and moving out.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he just nodded. “Sure, that sounds fine.”

It seemed like she deflated a little bit as she nodded back. “I just… I want you to know that I don’t blame you for anything. I was a very active participant every step of the way and… that night with you was amazing. It really was and I can’t find it in me to regret it.”

“Me either,” he admitted hoarsely.

Felicity sighed. She gestured at the boxes. “I’m having some movers come pick up my things later. Right now, I’m going to go get my shower and get dressed… I’m going into the office today. I’ll… see you later?”

“Yeah. I’ll… uh… be around,” he said. He watched her walk back into her room, feeling awful and hollow and very much like she was taking his heart with her.

***

Two days later, news of her and Oliver’s split was all over the news, all over Twitter, and all anyone will talk about. In fact, Felicity knows her EA, Janice, was just talking about it with the EA from her VP of Marketing’s office just before she stepped off the elevator. She could tell in the way the two of them quickly fell silent and Janice looked like a dog who’d just been chastised for nosing through the garbage. The other EA, a rather vapid woman named Marcia, smiled at her, though Felicity thought the expression was somewhat like the cat who just got the cream.

“Any messages, Janice?” she asked, stopping by her EA’s desk. She’d been out at lunch, alone but that was how she preferred it.

Marcia realized that social hour was over and left while Janice got up with a stack of messages in her hand. Felicity groaned when she saw it and turned to head to her office. Janice followed along behind her.

“One is from the Gazette, they’d like an interview. Channel 52 news, same thing. A ‘Susan Williams’ called from the Tattler, she wants an _exclusive_ interview.” Felicity snorted at that and Janice hid a grin before she went on. “This one is from ‘The Today Show’… ooh, clear in New York City. You’re national news, Ms. Smoak.”

Felicity dropped into her chair with a sigh. “Lucky me.”

“Most of these said they’d call back. If they do, what do you want me to tell them?”

She loved that her EA knew Felicity wouldn’t be returning any of these messages. No, not even from ‘The Today Show’. “Tell them no comment. And that when I’m ready to make a statement, it will come from my company’s PR department and not a moment sooner.”

Janice nodded and left to return to her desk. Felicity rubbed at her temples before looking over her calendar to see what was on the docket for the rest of the day. It’d only been half a day so far and she was already sick of the media scrutiny. They were like vultures, circling for the kill. The story that most were telling was that they’d had a fight while at Thea Queen’s wedding and that had lead to the separation. Of course, neither her nor Oliver had confirmed that. But in the absence of narrative, the media liked to generate their own and that was the one that had the most traction.

Felicity felt awful. She hated moving out of their apartment, she hated not seeing Oliver all the time, and most of all she hated that look on his face when she’d explained to him why she was leaving the other morning. It had felt like she’d been kicking a puppy or something. Meanwhile, her own heart was cracked open and bleeding as well. She couldn’t show that to Oliver (or to anyone else, but mostly to him). He’d try to make it better and then they’d be back at square one. She couldn’t do that to herself or him.

Her desk phone buzzed and Felicity hit the button to turn on the speaker. “Yes, Janice?”

“Mrs. Queen is here to see you. I told her she should make an appointment but she insists on seeing you,” her EA said.

Felicity sighed. She’d been expecting this, actually. Better deal with it now and get it over with. “Send her in, Janice, thank you.”

She straightened the items on her desk, even though everything was already orderly and stood up, coming around her desk to wait for Moira. She stepped inside her office a moment, looking as pressed and perfect as she ever did.

“Hello, Moira. Did you get back today?” She knew Oliver’s parents had been planning to stay a few extra days but didn’t know if they actually had or not.

“Yes, this morning,” she replied smoothly.

“Have a seat,” Felicity offered, gesturing to one of the chairs in her sitting area.

She took a seat on the sofa and Felicity followed suit, sitting at the other end but angling herself to face the other woman.

“I assume you came here because you heard the news? Or Oliver spoke to you?” Felicity asked.

“Both, actually.” Moira sniffed. “He met us at the airport this morning and told us on the ride back home. Soon as we were home, I saw it on the television.”

She nodded and bit her lip, unsure what to say next. “I just want you to know that I don’t plan to cause any problems for the family and I still hold Oliver in the highest respect—”

Moira held up a hand, stopping her babble before she could even get started. “I know the marriage wasn’t real, Felicity.”

“W-what?”

“I had a strong feeling from the start, but I didn’t really know for sure until I saw you both together at the gala. And then on the island… the way you were with one another, it was like watching two awkward teenagers, newly in love, trying to navigate their feelings for the first time.”

Felicity was aghast. “You _knew_?”

The Queen matriarch smiled gently. “Of course I knew, dear. Oliver is my son. I know him better than he probably knows himself. There’s precious little he can hide from me that I won’t figure out sooner or later.”

“I-I’m so sorry, Mrs. Queen. I meant no disrespect, I promise.”

She leaned forward and patted Felicity’s hand reassuringly. “You can relax, Felicity. I’m not angry with you. I brought it up to Oliver today, as soon as he told us that you’d filed for divorce and he reacted quite a bit like you just did, actually.” Her lips curved in a smile at the memory.

Felicity was stymied. All those months… they’d worked so hard to try to convince Moira Queen and all along she’d _known_. If things were simpler, if Felicity hadn’t made the monumental mistake of falling for Oliver… she might look back on it all with regret. Dancing together, moving in together, all the little hugs and kisses they’d shared in order to “sell” the image… But she didn’t regret it. Even though it was over now and her heart was breaking, Felicity couldn’t regret those months spent with Oliver.

But she was still baffled that Moira had known and hadn’t said anything. “I’m still sorry,” she said to her soon-to-be-former mother-in-law. “At the time, it seemed so important to keep it a secret.”

“Oh, I think you managed that,” Moira said. “Robert didn’t know until I mentioned it to Oliver this morning. And everyone at the wedding believed you two were happy newlyweds as well. Judging by the news reports, I think the world at large also bought the story.”

“Thea knew. And Tommy.”

A look of pride passed over Moira’s features. “Did she? Smart girl. Gets it from me, I think.”

That made Felicity snort, though she tried to hide the indelicate noise in her hand.

“I meant what I said, Felicity. Don’t feel too badly about it. Oliver is a grown man who makes his own decisions and I have a feeling this was his idea, not yours.”

“It was, but I went along with it. I agreed to it.”

“And why shouldn’t you? Oliver mentioned your mother was pressuring you to settle down and that your board was every bit as irritating about your marital status as his… perhaps more so.”

“But we lied.”

Moira shrugged. “We do what we must. But I just wanted to let you know that I’m sorry too.”

Felicity blinked. “You are? But… why?”

“I’m sorry that this didn’t work out between the two of you. Because while I knew the wedding was an arrangement, I also saw genuine feelings blooming between you two, especially this last week. I don’t know what happened the night of the wedding and I don’t want to know, but I’m sorry that it’s led to this.”

She didn’t know what to say. Never in a million years could she have predicted Moira would say these things to her. The gentle kindness she was showing to her made tears prick behind Felicity’s eyes. “I don’t deserve your kindness, I’m afraid.”

“Nonsense. Of course you do. I’m sorry because I liked you, Felicity. You made a splendid daughter-in-law. And you made my son smile.”

Now those tears that had stung her eyes pooled, threatening to fall. Felicity bit her lip. “He made me happy too.”

Moira made a comforting noise and scooted closer before drawing Felicity into a hug. She was surprised but hugged her back. “Shhh, now. It’s okay. I understand.”

She released her after a moment and Felicity wiped under her eyes before smiling tremulously. “Thank you.”

“I still have hope, you know. I think if you both want to badly enough, you can work this out.”

“I-- I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Felicity mumbled miserably. “But thank you anyhow.”

Moira left shortly after that, leaving Felicity alone with her morose thoughts. Somehow, Oliver’s mother’s understanding and kindness made her feel even worse about the situation than she had before. Regret flooded her chest with emotion, but not regret over sleeping with Oliver. No, it was regret over this marriage ending…

It might not have been a real marriage, but it was the realest marriage Felicity was likely to ever get to have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hides some more* Sorry? There's nowhere to go from here but up though! i


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity both deal with the aftermath of their separation. He broods, she runs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry for making you all so sad last week! But it had to happen that way and hopefully with these coming chapters you'll see why. With this chapter... it's still sad a bit, but there's a ray of hope. So read on if you are hoping to see that! 
> 
> I posted on Twitter with last week's update that the title of this fic came from Sam Smith's "Palace". I heard it a lot over Christmas (it was that damned Apple commercial) and it made me want to write a fic inspired by it... so that's how this was born. Significantly less angsty than the song itself, but still angsty a bit in it's own way. Go have a listen. It's a beautiful song. 
> 
> And without further ado....

It’d been two weeks since Thea’s wedding. Two of the most miserable weeks Oliver had ever experienced. And that was saying something, given some of his more colorful past antics.

He was at home, in the apartment he’d once shared with Felicity, alone and brooding. Or at least, that’s what Tommy and Dig called it. Both of his friends had tried, unsuccessfully, to get him to leave the house outside of work and join them. Tommy wanted him to go to Verdant for a few drinks, maybe meet someone there. Dig wanted to go to a basketball game or to the gym.

Oliver had turned them both down. He wasn’t in the mood to be around people and he absolutely had no interest in pretending like he wasn’t feeling like total crap. His friends both said they understood his state of mind, but that they were worried about him. Oliver didn’t think they could possibly understand.

Dig had his wife, Lyla, and a sweet adorable baby girl waiting at home. He had everything that Oliver had only recently discovered he wanted too. His driver, sometimes bodyguard, and always confidant had been very patient with him since returning from Motu Nui. Dig seemed to know without Oliver having to say exactly what had happened with Felicity. He’d tried to talk to Oliver about it, about going to Felicity and talking to her, but Oliver had made it clear he wasn’t interested in discussing it. And that had been it… Dig always knew when to push and when to retreat. It’s what made them such good friends now, instead of just employee and employer.

As for Tommy… Tommy was like a brother to Oliver. The two of them had grown up together and so the other man knew Oliver as well as he knew himself. But Tommy’s idea of a relationship was calling up a one night stand for another toss in the sheets a week later. He loved Tommy, but he didn’t understand what it was like to fall in love with a woman and want to be with her and only her. Oliver was growing increasingly aware that that’s exactly what had happened with him and Felicity. He’d fallen in love with her and now he’d lost her. Just like that. Tommy had no clue what that was like. So when he told Oliver that all he had to do was “get out there” again and he’d forget all about Felicity… well, Oliver wasn’t buying it.

He knew it would probably just to take time, but it’d only been two weeks and he just wasn’t ready to pretend like his life wasn’t in shambles. Maybe in another month. Maybe more. Oliver had never had his heart broken before; he had no idea how long it would take to forget the way Felicity had felt in his arms.

As he sat next to the windows in the living room, nursing a tumbler of whiskey, Oliver wondered if this was divine payback. He’d broken a lot of hearts in his day, but none more than that of Laurel Lance. She’d loved him, believed in him, and he’d cheated on her repeatedly and openly and _with her sister_. While he hadn’t shared the feelings for her that she’d had for him, there was no excuse for what he’d done to her. His guilt over that, over how he’d hurt her, had grown exponentially since he’d known Felicity. And after their “wedding”, the thought of hurting her the way he’d hurt Laurel, well…

It put a lot of things into perspective for him. Six months ago, he’d doubted that he’d matured past his old commitment-phobe ways. He’d thought there was no way he could be faithful to a woman, want to come home to the same woman night after night, want to have sex with the same woman for years and years…

Did he want that now? He hadn’t really thought about it in those terms but when he thought about coming home to someone, he thought of Felicity. When he thought of having sex, about _making love_ , it was with Felicity. And, save for that regrettable incident that ended up in the papers shortly after they were married, he hadn’t even so much as kissed another woman. He hadn’t wanted to.

Sure, he’d let Felicity think he was going on dates, but he wasn’t. Usually, he was hanging out with Tommy at Verdant or his place or going over to Dig’s for dinner and to watch the game on his tv or something like that. Somewhere in the last six months, Oliver had become monogamous. It made him wonder if he’d been wrong about himself, about telling Felicity he couldn’t have a relationship, about letting her push him away…

But with those thoughts came madness so here he sat, alone in his darkened apartment, watching the city and trying not to think about her.

There was a ring from the house phone, which meant the front desk was calling as anyone else would call his cellphone if they wanted to talk. With a sigh, Oliver set his whiskey aside and got up to answer it.

“You have a visitor,” the front desk informed him. “A young woman, says her name is Thea Harper.”

Oliver jerked a little in surprise; it was the first time he’d heard his sister using her new surname. “Let her on up,” he replied. “And put her on the list of approved guests; she’s my sister.”

“Right away, Mr. Queen.”

He smiled to himself as he waited for Thea to take the elevator ride up to his floor. She must be newly back from her honeymoon. He found he was anxious to see her, to see how she was doing. He was less anxious, however, to hear about her thoughts regarding his relationship with Felicity. He knew she’d have plenty to say. As he contemplated _that_ he got down an extra glass for Thea and brought it and the bottle across to where he’d been sitting. She could turn down a drink if she liked but he knew he’d probably need a refill.

There was a knock at a door shortly after that and he answered it, indulgent smile already in place.

Thea launched herself through the doorway and engulfed him in a hug. He held her, patting her back. “Hey there, baby sister.”

She released him and peered up at his face. “Just as I thought,” she pronounced. “You look awful.”

Oliver rolled his eyes and stood back to let her into the apartment. “Good to see you too, Speedy.”

“I heard everything,” she said as she breezed through to the living room. Then she turned on him. “Oh, Oliver. What happened??”

“How was your honeymoon?” he asked her. “How’s Roy doing? Was your flight home uneventful?”

She fixed him with a hard look. “It was lovely but I’m sure you don’t want all the details. Roy is fine but the jet lag is killing him so he’s already at home, asleep and the flight was long but uneventful. There, happy?”

“Thrilled.” Oliver dropped back into the seat he’d occupied before and lifted his glass to his lips, taking a long drink.

Thea sat across from him and poured herself a small serving. “I don’t get it, Ollie. You two were doing so well, I thought. You looked like a real couple, I swear it. I’d see you two together and just… I could _feel_ the sparks. What happened??”

He huffed a humorless laugh before taking another drink. He poured some more whiskey in his glass before he answered. “To borrow from you, I’m not sure you want all the details.”

Thea’s eyes widened. “Oh. I see.”

“Yeah,” Oliver muttered, a little bitterly.

“And then she…?”

“I woke up the morning after your wedding and she was gone. Not even a note. She’d left to come back home and I had to wait a whole day to catch up to her. By then, she had already filed for the divorce and was moving out of the apartment.”

Thea swore under her breath. “Did she tell you _why_?”

Oliver nodded. “Yeah and, to be honest, her reasons made a lot of sense.” As succinctly as he could, he filled his sister in on what Felicity had told him that morning he’d returned and found her moving out. She listened, nodding her head and looking pensive.

“So, you didn’t fight for her?”

“How could I, Thea?” he asked. “She made it pretty clear that she didn’t want me to.”

His sister looked exasperated. She got up and paced around the living room. She stopped next to the coffee table, noticing the sheaf of papers laying on the surface. She bent and picked them up, flipping through. “These are the divorce papers?”

Oliver nodded, but didn’t look. The sight of them made him feel nauseated.

“You haven’t signed them.”

“No, I haven’t.” He couldn’t bring himself to, to be honest. He still had two and a half months to do so. Maybe by then, his very being wouldn’t cry out in protest when he picked up the pen.

“Why not?” she asked gently, coming back to sit down. She didn’t take another drink, but she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she looked at him with soft eyes.

Oliver shrugged. “I-I don’t know.” And he wasn’t interested in trying to explain his avoidance of the whole thing to Thea. She’d see through him like he was made of cellophane.

Of course, she did anyhow. “Ollie… those papers aren’t going to go away. If you don’t want to sign them, you have to _talk_ to her.”

“Speedy…”

“Tell me, Ollie, did you fight for her?”

“I already told you. She was pretty clear with what she wanted and I couldn’t really argue… she asked me not to, in fact.”

Thea rolled her eyes. “I get that, but did you _fight for her_? If you want to stay married, if you _love_ her, you need to fight for her. You can’t be willing to just let it slip through your fingers.”

Oliver thought about what Felicity had shared with him about her father. He didn’t know a whole lot, she’d always been really reluctant to talk about her family and her past. But he knew her father had left them when she was young and he could tell it was a sore subject with her. There was a chance that she had some abandonment issues and him leaving could be exacerbating that.

“But what if that just pushes her further away? She was pretty clear, Thea.”

“You’re being an idiot, my dear brother,” Thea said fondly. “Go after her, fight for her, fight for both of you together. If you love her, you cannot let her go without letting her know that. Regardless of what she does when she knows, she deserves to know.”

Oliver sighed. Maybe his little sister was right. He was hiding here in his apartment, licking his wounds, but that wasn’t solving anything. It was just making him feel more and more morose. Perhaps he needed to stop sitting around and to do something instead.

***

The next day was a Sunday and Oliver knew, from having lived with her for a few months, that Felicity generally liked to stay in on Sundays. She’d change her nail polish, clean out the fridge, do her laundry… maybe even a Netflix binge if she was feeling particularly lazy. Many times in the past, she would convince him to join her.To be fair, it hadn’t taken a lot of convincing.

So he figured she would be at home at her apartment. When he woke up the next day, with only a slight headache from the whiskey the night before, Oliver showered and had a cup of coffee and headed over to her place in hopes of catching her in a good mood. Or at least a mood where she’d be willing to talk.

Oliver took a cab over to her apartment building, practicing in his head what he would say. Nothing sounded right to him. It was too corny or not corny enough… the resolve he’d had the night before when talking to Thea was faded in the light of day. Still, he wasn’t going to give up now. He knew Thea was right that this was his chance to fight for Felicity and Oliver could not let the opportunity pass.

There was no doorman at her building… no security at all, really. He was able to get into the lobby when one of the tenants was leaving, just by grabbing the door before it closed and locked. He remembered what floor her apartment was on from before and took the elevator there.

Her apartment was at the end of the hall and he paused for a deep breath before rapping his knuckles.

There was no answer.

He knocked again, waiting. He thought he heard something from inside but he couldn’t be sure if it was her place or the apartment next door. Oliver waited a few moments before knocking again.

“Felicity?” he called. “It’s me, Oliver.” Nothing. “Can we talk? Please?”

There was no response and the door remained closed. He sighed and let his forehead rest against the surface.

“I’m sorry, Felicity. I shouldn’t have just let you leave. Not without having this talk first. You see… I didn’t tell you the whole story. That night… when I said that I couldn’t be in a relationship, it was because the last time I was, I hurt her badly. I took her love and her trust and her faith and I ruined it for her. What I did was reprehensible. All because I couldn’t see myself settling down, getting married, having a family. And I just thought, well, that’s who I am.”

He paused. He hoped desperately that she was listening. “I think my parents had something to do with that… my father specifically. He was a terrible husband for most of my life, it’s only been recently that he’s changed his ways. For a long time, I thought I couldn’t be faithful to a woman. It was easier to just… avoid those kinds of entanglements. But then I needed to get married and you did too and you seemed unlikely to want anything more. But…” Oliver paused and chuckled. “The joke was on me. Because we became friends and somewhere in there, I fell in love with you. I fell _hard_. And I honestly had no idea that’s what it was… not until we were in Motu Nui. I mean, I knew I was attracted to you, but that’s just because I’m not _blind_. But then I realized I’d fallen in love with you and I—”

“That’s a very nice speech,” a voice from behind him said, “but I’m afraid she’s not home.”

Oliver jerked and looked behind him. There stood Dinah Drake, Felicity’s friend and SCPD officer. She was carrying a stack of envelopes and a bemused expression.

“Oh. Hi, Dinah.”

All hint of a smile fled her face and she fixed Oliver with a very dry expression that was borderline disdainful. “Hello, Oliver. Wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“I wanted to speak with Felicity,” he said, as a way of explaining his being there.

“She’s not there.”

“So you said. Do you know where she is?” Oliver asked, determined to remain polite. In the few short months they’d lived together, Oliver had never gotten close with Dinah. The woman always regarded him rather skeptically, as though she was expecting him to have nefarious motives regarding her best friend and was ready to call him out on it at a moments notice. She’d probably had a field day the last two weeks, telling Felicity what an awful person he was.

“I do,” Dinah said, narrowing her eyes at him. Her lips pursed as she waited him out.

“Are you going to tell me?” he asked at last.

“If you step aside and let me get in the apartment, I might tell you,” she said. She waved the envelopes in her hand. “I’m here to bring in her mail and water her plants and I’m on a bit of a clock here so…”

Oliver stepped aside and let Dinah open the door with a set of keys she kept in her pocket. He followed her inside, his hands shoved into his pockets. He didn’t go far and didn’t make himself at home either. Besides, without Felicity there, the place felt distinctly uncomfortable. She’d taken the warmth with her was all he could think.

Dinah set the unopened mail on the kitchen counter on top of a rather sizable stack. He pursed his lips and considered the evidence. She’d been gone for a while, apparently.

“She’s in Las Vegas,” Dinah said. “Visiting her mom.”

That surprised him. If it were a business trip, he wouldn’t have been surprised. But Felicity almost never went to Vegas, preferring to have her mother travel here for visits. And even then, she was okay with the visits being few and far between. Again, Oliver didn’t know much about her history, but he did know that things were a bit strained with her mother. “How long as she been there?” he asked.

“About a week now.”

“Do you know how long she’s staying there?”

Dinah sighed and leaned against the counter. She gave him another considering look but this was a bit softer than the judgmental stares she’d given him out in the hallway.

“I don’t,” she said, sounding almost sorry. “You know, Oliver… You probably don’t believe me but I’m rooting for you two.”

If he’d been surprised to hear Felicity was in Vegas, this bit of news absolutely floored him. “What? You are?”

She shrugged and smiled a little. “I know I give you a hard time and that’s my job, as Felicity’s best friend. I’m supposed to keep her head out of the clouds where you’re concerned. But... I’ve seen a change in her since she met you. And the last two weeks…” Dinah whistled. “She’s not a happy girl.”

“I’m so sorry,” he said, rushing to make sure Dinah heard his sincerity. “I didn’t mean to make her sad… I should never have let her leave the apartment that day without making sure she knew how I felt—”

Dinah held up a hand and shook her head. “Oliver. Believe it or not, I’m not really blaming you for her being unhappy. Well, not you _entirely_. I mean, you were there, and it takes two to tango and all of that. Felicity did this one to herself and I told her as much. She knows it too, which is why I suspect she was so unhappy and left to go see her mother.”

Once again, he was left confused… he never in a million years expected to hear Dinah say that. And he wanted to argue with her about the situation being Felicity’s fault. But he had a more pressing concern on his mind. “What do you think I should do? As Felicity’s friend, how can I talk to her and what should I say?”

“Well, what you were saying to the door when I got here was a pretty good start,” Dinah said thoughtfully. “Just tell her how you feel. Mean it from the heart. No secrets.”

“Should I call her? Facetime?”

She shook her head. “No. You need to go down there. I’ll give you her mother’s address. Go there, knock on the door, and don’t leave until she listens to you.”

For the first time since he’d woken up in that bed all alone, Oliver felt a flare of hope inside his chest. He smiled and stepped forward, engulfing Dinah in a hug. She sputtered and tried to push at him before giving him a perfunctory pat on the back. When he released her, still smiling, she rolled her eyes at him but she was smiling too.

“Go get her, loverboy.”

***

_One week ago…_

Felicity stood on the step of her mother’s house, shifting her carry-on bag from one hand to the other. She turned briefly, waving at the cab driver who’d brought her there from the airport as he backed out of the driveway and left before turning back to the door and taking a deep breath. She hadn’t been here in _years_ but the place still looked absolutely the same. From the fake flowers on the porch, to the faded paint on the wood siding, to the xeriscaped yard full of rocks and desert-friendly plants, nothing looked a bit different than it had the day she’d taken a cab to the airport to fly to Boston with dreams of MIT and world domination floating in her head.

She’d called ahead, of course, to make sure it was okay that she came for a visit. But Felicity hadn’t given her mother many details about why she was coming. She just… couldn’t. Not over the phone.

After a week of trying and failing to pretend like everything was fine, Dinah had finally told Felicity that ignoring her feelings wasn’t working. Her friend had urged her to take some time, maybe go somewhere. But Felicity had just _been_ somewhere. What she wanted was to go home.

Unfortunately, home was an apartment in the downtown corridor that she shared with Oliver Queen. And after the way she’d run out of their bungalow on Motu Nui and then fled that very apartment a day later, she couldn’t very well go there. Even though Dinah had told her that she absolutely _could_. Felicity wanted to, but she had an awful feeling that it was too late. And that if Oliver had really wanted to stop her, to stop this divorce, he would have come after her. If not right when she left the apartment, then at least the next day. Or the next. But after a week, he hadn’t.

The implication there was clear.

It wasn’t the first time Felicity had felt the sting of abandonment, but it was surprising to her just how badly it hurt. When her father had left, it’d left a hole in her heart. Cooper’s leaving had bruised what was left, leaving it fragile and she’d tried so hard to protect it from further damage. But, stupidly perhaps, she’d let Oliver in and he hadn’t just bruised it.He’d left a crack there that she feared would never be repaired.

Felicity lifted a hand and knocked on the door. She was hoping her mother was still at home and not off at work yet. She no longer had a key to the house though, if push came to shove, she did know how to break into the house. There was a window in the back that was never latched and it was just the right size to wiggle through.

She was about to do just that when the door flew open. Her mother stood there, her hair in a towel, bundled in a robe with “Caesar’s Palace” embroidered on the left breast and an enormous smile on her face.

“Felicity! Oh! I wasn’t expecting you until later!” Donna Smoak cried before engulfing her in a hug.

“Mom, were you in the shower?” she asked, hugging her back.

Her mom released her and waved a hand. “Oh… that. Yeah, I’d just gotten out when I heard the knock at the door. I thought you might be the UPS guy.”

Felicity blinked. It was on the tip of the tongue to ask, but she knew better. It was perfectly in character for her mother to answer the door to a delivery man wearing nothing but a bathrobe.

“Well, I’m here now!” she said, forcing a cheerful grin on her fact.

Donna grabbed the handle of Felicity’s carry-on suitcase and tugged it into the house, beckoning her to follow. She did, closing and latching the door behind her. Looking around the living room, Felicity realized that while the outside of the house looked exactly the same, the inside was completely different.

“When did you remodel?” she asked, taking in the open concept. “Didn’t there used to be a wall between the living room and the kitchen?”

Donna nodded, smiling. “I used my Christmas bonus last year to do a little remodeling. Well, the last few Christmas bonuses. I saved them up, wanted to give the place a fresh look. What do you think?”

Felicity ran her hand along the back of a bright red low-backed sofa . “I like it,” she said. The colors were bright and it looked as though new, larger windows had been installed, letting in more natural light. The whole place was bright and airy and absolutely her mother’s style.

“Okay, now you need to sit and tell me what’s troubling you. Does this have something to do with Oliver?”

Donna dropped onto the sofa and patted the spot next to her. Felicity debated for a moment trying to brush off her mother but then she recalled where she’d gotten her stubbornness from. With a sigh, she sat down next to her mom.

“I want to tell you,” she said, twisting her fingers in her lap. “But… I’m not really ready for it now. I’ve been on a plane for several hours and I haven’t slept great this whole last week… I’m exhausted. And I’m a little bit heartbroken, if I’m being honest.” Her mother gave her a look and Felicity made a face. “Fine, more than a little heartbroken. I’ll tell you, but for right now, can I just go take a nap in my old bed? You still have my old bed, don’t you?”

Her mother leaned over and patted her hand. “Of course, I do. Everything in your room is just as you left it.”

“Okay, well, I’d like to go take a nap, then maybe have a shower, and then another nap and then… maybe eat about five pounds of french fries, take another nap… watch some trashy reality tv… and then I can tell you.”

“Sure, honey. You can do all of that, if you want.”

“Can you, in the meantime, just… be on my side? I feel like I need someone on my side.”

Her mother’s expression softened. “Oh, honey. I’ll always be on your side. But especially now because I can _tell_ this is about Oliver and if he broke your heart…”

Felicity held up a hand. “No violence required, I promise.”

“Okay. I’ll let him live. For now. Until you tell me the story.”

“Thanks, mom.” She leaned forward and hugged her, letting her comfort wash over her.

“You go lay down and when you wake up, I’ll make you some of your favorite soup, how does that sound?”

“That sounds perfect,” Felicity admitted.

“You’re always welcome here, Felicity. Anytime you need to lick your wounds or just even to visit… I’m always here.”

As Felicity rolled her carry-on into her old bedroom (which, yep, was exactly as she’d left it over eleven years before), she felt regret for not connecting more with her mother in the years since she’d left MIT and moved to Starling. She’d never doubted that her mother loved her, but she’d always thought the two of them didn’t really have much in common to connect over.

She set the suitcase on top of the double bed that was still covered with a ruffled quilt, about fifteen pillows and an assortment of old stuffed animals. She opened it up and pulled out the clothes she’d brought, stashing them in the dresser and the closet. The bag of toiletries got dumped on top of the dresser so she could take it into the bathroom later on. Then she put the suitcase on the shelf in the closet so it was out of the way.

With a sigh, she sat on the bed and looked around the room. The posters on the wall belied the decor of the furniture and linens and stuffed animals. Posters on the wall showed dazzling space vistas and highlighted some of teenage Felicity’s favorite idols, namely Nicola Tesla and Ada Lovelace. The desk under the window still held the computer she’d worked on the summer before leaving for MIT. At the time, it had been a top of the line desktop but now it looked like a veritable dinosaur. Various computer parts littered the top of the desk but they were free of dust which led Felicity to wonder… had her mother dusted the computer parts rather than sweeping them into a box or a drawer? Something about that was just so painfully _sweet_.

She vowed, then and there, that she’d make more of an effort with her mother. When she returned to Starling, eventually, she’d have her mother up to visit regularly and especially at the holidays. She’d also come back to Vegas more for visits. Now that she was here, this place wasn’t as bad as she’d always remembered. When she was younger, she’d felt stuck in Vegas, trapped in poverty with a mother who didn’t understand her desire to get out and achieve things.

But now… it felt nostalgic and soft and welcoming. Her mother had said she could lick her wounds here and Felicity thought that was the perfect phrase for what she needed to do. She needed to lick her wounds in a place where she’d feel safe to do so. She needed her mom to make her soup and take care of her while she gathered up the broken pieces of her heart.

Feeling better than she had in over a week, Felicity kicked off her shoes and shoved several pillows and a whole platoon of stuffed bears out of the way so she could lay down and let a much a needed nap pull her underneath and into oblivion.

And of course… she dreamed of Oliver.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver flies to Vegas to have a much needed (and far overdue) talk with Felicity. Can she let go of her fear? Can he? Will Donna let Oliver in through the door?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! The penultimate chapter is here! And it's a BIG one. Not just in what is happening but in length. I don't think you all will complain, though. ;) Thanks again for all your support and wonderful comments. They mean the world to me and I love that you guys love this story. 
> 
> ***SMUT AHEAD. If you don't like to read that sort of thing, you can probably skip over the last section of this story and not really miss too much... soon as Donna makes herself scarce, you should too!***

_Present day…_

“Felicity? Honey?” her mother’s voice called out tentatively. Felicity didn’t bother to lift her head from the sofa cushion, nor did she take her eyes off the television where the latest season of Bachelor in Paradise was playing. Thank god for Hulu.

Her mother stepped in front of the television, blocking her view. Felicity grumbled but lifted her head and looked up at her. “What?” she asked, a little testily.

“Don’t take that tone with me, young lady,” her mom said, hands on her hips. “I think you need to get up and take a shower, maybe even get dressed.”

“Ugh,” Felicity groaned, letting her head fall back down to the cushion.

“Then, _maybe_ , you could think about leaving the house.”

That sounded _awful_. It was nice and dark and comfortable in here, the tv was in here, there were no people (save her mother), in here. “I think I’ll say here, thanks.”

Her mom turned around and switched off the tv. Felicity sat up. “Hey! I was watching that!”

“Yes, I know. You’ve been watching that for the last day and before that you watched Dancing with the Stars and before that, Big Brother. All you’ve done since you got here is watch television.”

“You told me that I could lick my wounds here, that you were on my side!” She didn’t want to be having this argument. Her head was pounding and she felt exhausted. She wanted to go back to watching television.

“Felicity…” Her mother gentled her voice and sat on the edge of the couch. “That was a week ago. I do love having you here but you know you can’t stay here forever. You have a company back in Starling… and a life. And, I know you don’t want to hear this, but you should talk to Oliver.”

She looked away. “I don’t know if I’m ready,” she admitted. She’d told her mom the whole story four days ago. It’d felt good to get it all off her chest. She’d expected her mom to tell her she’d made a huge mistake to let a man like Oliver go, but she hadn’t. Instead, her mother had just hugged her and kissed her head and told her she understood.

“Maybe you never will be, but you need to do it, honey.”

“I thought you said you understood why I left him.”

“I did, honey. And I do. Your father left us when you were so young and I know that was hard on you. I didn’t ever know how to make it better. But I’m worried that it made you close in on yourself ever since. I used to call you my little pistachio, you remember that? It’s because you’re such a tough nut to crack. You have such a hard shell around your heart, to protect it. But you’re keeping the good out too, and I hate to see that. Now, I listened to your story and if Oliver is any sort of man, I’m absolutely sure he has feelings for you and you both deserve to know and explore that… together.”

“Oliver’s a good man,” Felicity said quietly. “He’s one of the best, but he doesn’t think so.”

“You need to tell him, honey.”

“I’m not ready—”

There was a knock at the door, startling both of them. Her mother recovered first, smiling a little. “It’s probably Mrs. Rodriguez from next door. She said she was going to bring over a book I was wanting to borrow.”

She got up and crossed the living room to answer the door. Felicity was searching for the remote so she could turn the television back on when she heard her mother greet whomever was on the step. “Oh! You’re not Mrs. Rodriguez.”

Felicity couldn’t hear what the person was saying, but it sounded low and rumbly… a male voice. Well, that could be _anyone_. She remembered her mom always had some male admirer stopping by back when she used to live here. She relaxed back into the sofa cushions.

***

The cab driver stopped in front of a small but neat look house in one of the neighborhoods on the outskirts of Vegas. It wasn’t a fancy neighborhood; far from it. And some of the homes were more run down than others. But this house looked like someone cared about making it look as nice as possible. He paid the driver and stepped out of the cab, shouldering his duffle bag.

He’d come directly from the airport; he probably should have stopped at a hotel or something, gotten a room, dropped his things off. But he was so anxious to see Felicity by the time the plane touched down, that it was an actual itch underneath his skin.

He walked up the door and knocked, setting his duffle down and wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans. He was anxious to see Felicity but he was also nervous.

The door opened and a petite blonde woman stood there, her mouth open in surprise. She looked enough like Felicity that Oliver could easily tell this was her mother, but at the same time, she was so completely _different_. Her dress was bright, short and skin tight, accentuating her curves, her make-up was heavily applied and her eyes battled at him coquettishly.

“Oh! Well… hello there,” she greeted, her voice a bit of a purr. “You’re not Mrs. Rodriguez.”

“Hello, Ms. Smoak. My name is Oliver Queen—”

“Oh!” she exclaimed, her eyes growing wide as saucers. “So you’re the man who broke my little girl’s heart.”

He felt heat infuse his cheeks and he looked down. “I-I made a mistake, Ms. Smoak. And I’d like a chance to make it right, if I can.”

Donna peered at him for a long moment, as though looking for an answer to a question she had somewhere on his face. Finally, she dipped her head and smiled a little. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Oliver. Please… call me Donna.”

“Nice to meet you, Donna,” he said, smiling and shaking her hand. “Uh… is Felicity here?”

Donna nodded. Then she lowered her voice and leaned towards him. “Between you and I, I think you’re just in time.”

Oliver wasn’t sure what that meant. “I would have come sooner, but I just learned she’d come here.”

“Why don’t you come in, make yourself at home?” Donna suggested, waving him inside.

He entered a small but trendy looking living room. Everything looked new, as though it’d been recently updated. His eyes immediately landed on Felicity, who was sitting up on the sofa, staring at him as though he’d just grown a second head.

“Oliver??” she said, her voice a little raspy.

He watched as she stumbled to her feet and he noticed that she looked as unkempt as he’d ever seen her. Even during the couple months they’d lived together, even on the island where they shared the same bungalow, he’d never seen her quite like this. Her hair was messy and almost surely unwashed, pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head. There were bags under her eyes to rival the ones he knew were under his. She wore an old pair of sweatpants and a threadbare t-shirt. Still… she looked as beautiful as any woman he’d ever been with or admired before. Without the makeup, he could see the freckles that dusted her nose and her lips looked so soft and kissable…

Oliver forced himself to focus on her eyes. “Hello, Felicity.”

“What are you doing here?” she asked bluntly.

“Felicity!” her mother chided. “That’s no way to greet a guest…”

“It’s fine, Donna,” Oliver said. “I was… hoping we could talk?”

“You— You came all this way?” Her voice was an adorable squeak that made him smile.

“Yes, I did. I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.”

“I’m a mess,” she muttered, patting her hair.

“You look fine,” he told her, meaning every word.

Her eyes were wide on him, and he knew she was questioning his eyesight. It only made him smile more, which seemed to fluster her.

“I need a shower,” she blurted, moving towards a hallway where he assumed her room and the bathrooms were located. “Then, uh… I guess, then we can talk. Is that okay?”

Oliver dipped his head. “Yes, that’s more than okay. Whatever you need, Felicity.” He was just glad she hadn’t tossed him right back out the moment she saw him. In fact, seeing her flustered like that gave him hope.

“You, uh… You’ll be okay, here? I mean, I’d apologize about my mom—”

“Hey!” Donna interjected, affecting insult. By her smile and wink at him, he knew she wasn’t bothered.

“—but just ignore her if she gets too much. You’ll still be here when I…?”

“Yes, Felicity. I’ll wait for you to take a shower. Go on ahead. Donna and I have a lot to talk about, I’m sure,” he said.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of,” Felicity muttered before turning and hurrying off down the hall.

When they heard the door slam, Donna breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh thank god you came when you did. I’ve been trying to get her off that sofa and into a shower for the last day. If I’d known all it would take is you showing up, I would have called you to come down here days ago.”

“And I would have come,” he said. But as Donna beckoned him towards the kitchen and he followed, Oliver wondered if he would have. The talk he had with Thea and Dinah had cleared up a lot for him in the last couple of days. Before that? He’d been strictly in denial-land.

“Would you?” Donna asked, cocking her head. “Have a seat at the bar there, Oliver. I’ll fix you a sandwich.”

“Oh, that’s not nec—”

“Nonsense. Let me mother you a little, I have a good six months or so to make up for,” she said with a wink.

“Donna…”

“Ham or turkey?” she asked him, an eyebrow lifted in challenge.

Oliver huffed a laugh. “Turkey, please.”

With a nod, Donna began collecting items to make sandwiches with. “So. Back to my question; would you have come if I had called you when she showed up here last week?”

“I… I don’t know. I was in a different place last week.”

“I guess what my real question is… what are your intentions with my daughter? Are you here to ease any guilt you might have or do you have feelings for her? Actual, genuine, deep feelings?”

Donna Smoak did not pull any punches, Oliver noticed. “Last week I was feeling bad for myself, brooding and basically being miserable to anyone who had to deal with me,” he admitted.

She chuckled as she spread mayonnaise on several slices of bread. “That sounds familiar. Felicity wouldn’t even talk to me when she showed up here last week. It took her days to tell me everything that had happened with you.”

“It took my sister to knock some sense into me. And Felicity’s friend Dinah gave me a kick in the pants too.”

“I’ve heard so many good things about Dinah, I’m going to have to meet her, I think,” Donna said. “So what conclusion have you arrived at, Oliver?”

Oliver drew in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. Time to say the words out loud. “I’m in love with your daughter.”

She beamed, her smile lighting the room much like Felicity’s smile often did. “That’s what I thought. And you’re here to tell her that?”

“If she’ll listen. I’m not entirely convinced she will. Or that she’ll return those feelings.”

“Oh, Oliver. I don’t think you have anything to worry about regarding her feelings. But my daughter does have some issues and she’s going to need a lot of reassurance.”

“Does this have to do with her father leaving when she was young?” he asked gently.

“Some,” Donna said with a nod. She finished off the sandwiches and grabbed a bag of potato chips out of the pantry. “But you should ask her about her college relationship too. Basically, she’s afraid to open up to anyone. And the stronger her feelings, the harder it is for her. Just… be patient and be understanding. Listen to her. Love her.”

“I think I can do that,” he said, feeling that kernel of hope light again inside his chest.

“Excellent. Now… eat up.” She passed a plate with his sandwich and a handful of chips across the island towards him. With a wink, she came around to sit next to him, eating her own sandwich and leaving another for Felicity when she was out of hte shower. Together, they ate in companionable silence.

***

Felicity hurried through her shower, her mind racing with the fact that Oliver was right now in her mother’s house and he was there to see _her_. The way he’d looked at her as he stood in the living room, as though he was looking past the days worth of grime in her hair, her face free of makeup, her shabby, dirty clothes… and seeing someone beautiful to him.

He’d looked a bit rough too… almost adorably rumpled (okay, with maybe some bags under his eyes, but it made him look dangerous in a very delicious sort of way, damn him). Frankly, she’d had a hard time not reaching for him right away and pulling him to her in a hug, just to feel those arms around her again.

So escaping to the shower had been the only thing she could logically do if she didn’t want to just throw herself at him. Plus, she _really_ needed one.

Fifteen minutes later, she stepped out, wrapped in a towel. Her childhood bedroom wasn’t connected to the second bathroom so she was going to have to dash to her room from there. Cracking the door open, she heard the low hum of voices in the kitchen telling her that Oliver and her mother were involved in conversation and wouldn’t notice her dart across the hall. On the one hand, that was a good thing. On the other, it was nerve-wracking because there was no telling what her mother was telling him.

Safe in her room, Felicity went right to her closet to find something to wear. She’d worn everything she brought with her already (which wasn’t much since her heart hadn’t been in it) and had opted to laze about on the sofa instead of doing laundry so none of that was available. All it took was a glance in her closet to the few items in there from her high school days and Felicity knew she had to come up with another plan.

Opening her door, she once again listened for the voices in the kitchen before she darted down the hall to her mother’s room. In there, she knew her choices were going to be limited since her mother tended to favor skin-tight and obscenely short dresses. That just wouldn’t be appropriate for a serious conversation with her soon-to-be-ex-fake-husband. That led her to check the drawers in her mother’s dresser instead.

Her options weren’t great but she couldn’t talk to him wrapped in a towel, nor could she see herself putting on her dirty clothes from the last week. So she had to make do. She ended up selecting a bra and panty set that Felicity was sure were demure by her mother’s standards but were easily racier than anything she owned. With it, she settled for one of her mother’s velour tracksuits and a white t-shirt. She didn’t even know velour tracksuits were still a _thing_ but it shouldn’t have surprised her that her mother had one. And there was zero reason she should have been surprised to see “JUICY” emblazoned across the ass of the cropped pants.

It was that or a skin-tight bodycon dress so Felicity sucked it up and put the underwear and tracksuit on. Then she hurried back down and across the hall to do something with her face and hair.

By this point it’d been easily twenty minutes and Felicity was aware she was taking far too long. So she pulled her hair back, still wet, into a ponytail. It’d dry a frizzy mess but it couldn’t be helped. As for her face, she swiped on some mascara and a coat of lipgloss and then shrugged at her reflection. This would have to do.

Pausing at her room to shove her feet into some laceless sneakers, Felicity walked out to the kitchen to see what her mother and Oliver were up to.

“Oh! There you are, honey. Here, I made you a sandwich,” her mother exclaimed as soon as she stepped out.

Oliver and her mother sat at the kitchen island, perched on stools, eating sandwiches. Felicity noticed her mother had made one too and she sat on the other side of Oliver and started to eat, her cheeks coloring slightly when she noticed Oliver’s eyes skate over her form as she situated herself on the stool.

She didn’t talk much, just listening to them while she ate. Her mother was telling Oliver about her job; she’d been promoted a few years back from cocktail waitress at Caesar’s Palace and was now a manager of sorts. Oliver listened interestedly while she talked and Felicity tried to concentrate on eating her sandwich so she and Oliver could talk. Though what she was going to tell him, she had no idea.

In fact, she’d spent the better part of two weeks avoiding talking to him. Hell, she’d left Starling in an effort to get away from him and the potential of having to have this conversation. But, apparently, two weeks was the saturation point on this particular drama and even her subconscious was shouting at her that it was time to deal with it. For better or worse, this would put the whole thing to rest.

As soon as she was finished, she cut in on her mother’s brief history of Caesar’s Palace. “I’m sorry, mom, but I think Oliver and I should talk.”

Her mom blinked, a little started. “Oh! Yes, you definitely both need to talk. Don’t let me keep you any longer.”

Felicity looked to Oliver. “How about a walk outside? There’s a trail around the neighborhood.”

He nodded. “Okay, sounds good.”

She slid off her stool and led the way to the front door. As soon as she stepped away, she heard Oliver make a slightly choked sound but when she glanced back at him, he looked entirely innocent. Maybe _too_ innocent.

Shrugging it off, she stepped outside and met Oliver down on the sidewalk. Once he fell into step beside her, she started off down the street towards the trail.

“Why did you come?” she asked.

“I told you, I thought we should talk.”

“But you could have called. Or facetimed me or something.”

“Would you have answered?”

Okay, that was a fair point. “Well, if all you wanted to say was ‘I’m signing the papers, this marriage was a mistake’, then I think it could have waited. Or, you know, you could have texted it or something.”

He hummed. “That’s not at all what I want to say, Felicity.”

Her breath caught in her throat a little and she coughed. “What do you want to say then?”

“First things first… you were wrong that day I came back and found you leaving the apartment. You said that staying with you would make me be someone I’m not. And I accepted that. I shouldn’t have done that because you were wrong.”

“Oliver…”

“Let me finish. I was also wrong to let you walk away. I didn’t have a choice that morning in Motu Nui, but I did the day I came home. I should have stopped you. Or gone after you. Or shown up at your doorstep every day until you’d see me.”

The trail wound around the small subdivision of houses, edging up onto the desert landscape around them. It was a trail often used by residents to jog on or walk their dogs and Felicity had often walked this path during high school, headphones in her ears, deep in thought. But right then, she wasn’t paying the least bit of attention to the landscape around them.

“And what would you have said then?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Honestly… I was telling your mother that it took Thea getting on my case to finally make me confront the issue at all. And even Dinah helped me see what I needed to do.”

“Dinah??”

“Yeah, I ran into her when I came to your apartment to try to talk.”

She was suddenly intensely curious about what Dinah could have possibly said to Oliver that had him hopping a flight to Vegas to talk to her.

“So if you didn’t fly down here to tell me that you’re fine with being over, then….”

She glanced at him and saw him smirking. “Is this you fishing to find out how I feel about you, Felicity?”

“I don’t know, is it working?”

“That morning that you moved out… I should have told you that I’m in love with you. I should have fought for you. For us.”

Felicity stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. “Oliver…”

“I worried that you might not want to hear it… that’s why I never said anything before. And I worried that I wasn’t the right person to say it or even feel it and I just… I think I needed these two weeks to really face what was happening so that I could break out of that fear, you know?”

She shook her head. No, she didn’t know, because all she felt right then was abject _fear_. “Oliver, I don’t want you to say this if you don’t really mean it,” she told him. “I couldn’t bear it. I—”

“I know you’re scared, Felicity.” Oliver stepped closer to her and reached up to cup her face in his hands. He smiled softly down at her. “I was scared too. I had a relationship before, when I was younger and it ended so badly. I hurt her so badly. I didn’t like who I became in that relationship and I was worried that it was just who I was. My dad was cheating on my mom at the time and my mom had had an affair… I thought it was in my genes to be unfaithful and I hated that. I couldn’t stand to do that to another woman I cared about. So I avoided relationships.”

He licked his lips and Felicity felt her heart skip a beat at the sight. “But then I met you and you caught my eye from the start. I just didn’t know what it was about you but I couldn’t stay away. And when I realized the best way to get my mother and my board off my back was to get married, you were the only person I could even conceive of doing that with. And I _still_ didn’t know why. But we became so close over the last half a year, we became friends and I grew to rely on having you in my life. These last two weeks have been just awful without you there.”

“I know what you mean,” she said, sinking into him as she started to relax. This was _happening_. “I felt like I was missing a limb.”

He smiled, hearing that and his thumbs rubbed against her cheeks. “Yes, exactly like that. I realized it bit by bit at first… and then we went to Motu Nui and things just…”

“Exploded.”

His eyes were darkening and he bent his head, angling towards her and Felicity pushed up on her toes. Their lips met, molded and she grabbed onto his arms to steady herself as they kissed. It was chaste but soft and Felicity could have kept kissing him like this for years. He drew back a little, and then kissed her again, just a little peck. He smiled at her, his eyes soft and warm.

“They did. And I’m glad they did. But I wish we’d had this conversation _before_ we slept together. Maybe then, you wouldn’t have run away.”

“I’m so sorry, Oliver… I— I don’t have a good excuse for that,” she admitted. “It’s just always been my first reaction. I blame my father leaving us, but don’t I do the same thing? Am I just like him?”

“No,” he said with conviction. “You aren’t. Him leaving you and your mom is nothing like you running to protect your heart. Felicity, I don’t blame you. But I want… I want you to stop running. I want us to be married. Can you… stay? With me?”

Tears filled her eyes until the image of him swam before her and she gasped out a disbelieving laugh. “Are you serious, Oliver? Do you mean it?”

“I mean it, Felicity. I love you.”

He kissed her again, his lips warm on hers, his stubble prickling her chin and cheeks and she loved every bit of it. She couldn’t believe she could kiss him like this now and not have it be for show. Which reminded her…

She pulled away but didn’t leave the circle of his arms. “Your mother came to see me.”

He blinked, looking adorably confused. “My mother?”

Felicity nodded. “A few days after I moved out, she came by the office to see me. And she told me that she knew our marriage was fake.”

Oliver’s eyes widened. “She did? But she never said anything to me! What did she say? Was she mad?”

“That’s the funny part. She wasn’t mad. Actually, it sounded like she thought we should be a real couple. I didn’t know what to think of it at the time, but now…”

She chuckled and Oliver did too. He hugged her tight. “Now it’s kinda sweet. She’ll be glad to hear that she was right _again_ , I think. That is…” He drew back so he could look at her, meet her eye. “That is if you want to stay married? I never heard from you what you want…”

“Oh, Oliver,” she said, running a hand through his cropped hair and smiling up at him. “I thought it was obvious. I’m so in love with you I can’t hardly think straight.”

He beamed at her. “I like the sound of that.” He kissed her softly. “Say it again.”

“I love you.”

Another kiss.

“Again…”

“I love you…”

This time, the kiss lingered, warming them both.

***

They walked back to the house, holding hands and talking. Oliver asked her about why she’d come to Vegas and what she’d been doing the whole last week. While it didn’t make him to hear about how miserable she’d been, he felt a fond sort of warmth hearing that her instinct had been to come to her mother for comfort. She’d run, yes, but she had run towards love. Whether she knew it or not, Oliver knew that was promising development.

Donna opened the door as they came up the walk and her smile was huge and knowing. “Oh, you two! I knew you’d work it out if you had half a chance to talk!” she gushed, rushing forward to embrace both of them.

He’d just met her, but Oliver already adored Felicity’s mom. There was something so refreshing and honest about her. He considered with a growing smile what it would be like to introduce her to his mother. He imagined that might be happening sooner or later.

“Yes, mom, you’re just so clever,” Felicity said with an eye roll, but her tone was affectionate and she gave her mother a hug as they reached her on the porch.

“You know, I think I’m gonna go see if Mrs. Rodriguez is home,” Donna said, her eyes sliding between the two of them and a sly smile on her lips. She stepped inside the house and they followed her. She lifted her purse from where it sat on a table near the door. “Now I don’t want you two wondering about when I’ll be back, she and I often get to talking and lose all track of time. Could be hours before I’m home.”

Oliver bit back a chuckle while Felicity shook her head. “Real subtle, mom.”

Donna shrugged and smiled at the both of them before waving and walking out. Felicity shut the door behind her. “I think she expects us to have sex,” he said with a wink.

“Gosh, I’d hate to disappoint her then,” Felicity said, looking up at him from underneath her lashes.

He dipped his head but didn’t kiss her. Instead, he brushed his nose alongside hers and then brought his lips to her ear. “Where’s your room, Felicity?”

Her hand slipped into his and she tugged him through the living room and down the short hallway she’d disappeared down shortly after he’d arrived earlier. He barely saw where he was going; all he could see was her eyes on him. She brought him to a room and then released his hand, stepping around him. He turned to watch her, his entire body tuned into her as she closed the bedroom door.

“Felicity…” he said, his voice raspy with want. “Let me undress you.”

Her cheeks turned pink but her gaze didn’t waver. She nodded slowly and Oliver stepped into her space, running his fingers down her arms. He brought his hands up, removing her glasses from her face and tucking the arms in carefully before setting the glasses aside on the top of her dresser.

“Turn around,” he instructed her softly.

She obeyed right away and his eyes moved down over her, catching on the word “JUICY” written in glitter, emblazoned across her rear. He’d nearly choked on his own tongue when he first noticed that before. But he couldn’t argue with the truth in advertising. He intended to fully appreciate just how juicy she was here in a few moments…

Oliver let his hands coast down her arms, over her hips, letting his fingertips draw over the globes of her ass. “Don’t make fun,” she said over her shoulder. “I had to borrow something of my mom’s to wear and it was the only halfway decent thing I could find.”

“I’m not complaining at all,” he murmured. “In fact, I think you should take this with you when we leave.”

That made her laugh, even though he was being halfway serious.

“Unzip the hoodie.”

Felicity was quick to comply, and Oliver pulled the velour garment off her shoulders and tossed it to the side. Then, he bent down behind her and nudged her calf so she’d lift her foot. He slipped her shoe off and repeated the process with the second food. He stood back up, letting his fingers glide along the velour of her pants as he moved upwards. He grasped the bottom of the white t-shirt she wore and pulled it up and Felicity lifted her arms helpfully so he could pull the shirt the rest of the way off. It joined the hoodie on the floor.

Oliver moved back around so he was facing her again. He wanted to see this bra which looked… wow. It was a soft peach color, decorated with lace and little satin ribbons that laced up like a corset over the cups. The sight made his mouth water, but he reminded himself to be patient.

Still, he couldn’t resist leaning forward to press a soft kiss to the top of one of her breasts, enjoying how the flesh cushioned his jaw until he drew away. He winked at her, enjoying her rapt attention and the blush on her cheeks. A blush that was steadily creeping down her neck and across her collarbone and dusting the tops of those beautiful breasts…

But Oliver had another goal at the moment and he slowly sunk down onto his knees. He hadn’t gotten to do this with her the night they’d had together and he’d spent the last two weeks regretting the oversight. Right now, he was making up for his mistake.

“Oliver…” she breathed, her eyes dark and stormy as she looked down at him.

“Please, let me taste you,” he murmured, placing a kiss to the top of her thigh. “I need—”

He bit off whatever it was he was going to say next, mostly because he wasn’t even sure what he wanted to say. He just _needed_ her. He moved forward on his knees, urging her back towards the bed a little but stopped just short of pushing her down onto the mattress. Instead, he reached up, hooking his thumbs through the waistband of those velour pants. He tugged them down to reveal underwear that matched the bra she was wearing. He let his hands coast up her legs, over the backs of her thighs, and found his fingers touching the soft, warm globes of her ass, realizing that the underwear was cut to display her ass.

Oliver spent a long moment just letting his fingers coast over her ass, teasing the curves, feeling just underneath the edge of the underwear, until Felicity shuddered and had to hold onto his shoulders to steady herself.

She was trembling, which he found sexy as hell as he pressed more kisses to the tops of her legs. He could smell her arousal now, heady and sweet, and it made his mouth water. Suddenly impatient, he began to tug her underwear down. He kept his eyes on her as he freed her legs from the pants and underwear, tossing them aside.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said and he lifted one of her legs, bringing it over his shoulder and opening her up to his gaze, his touch, his mouth…

Felicity was starting to pant as he leaned in and pressed soft kisses to the tender flesh between her thighs. Her response made him smile and he brushed his scruff purposefully along the tender flesh around her quivering center. That made her gasp and one hand clutched at his hair, holding him tightly.

Finished teasing, Oliver leaned and licked up her slit, from her entrance to the hard little bud that was already starting to throb at the apex of her core. He ran his tongue along her folds, gathering her essence on his tongue before diving in and thrusting a tongue into her tight channel. Her walls squeezed around his tongue and he pressed his nose to her clit, enjoying her little shout. Her arousal dripped into his mouth and he drank her down, making hungry noises as he did so, causing Felicity to grip his hair tighter.

Oliver drew back and brought his mouth up to her clit, flicking it with his tongue and enjoying how that made her hips jump towards his face. He used one hand to hold her hip still and with the other, he brought his fingers up to tease around her entrance, where his tongue had previously been. He rimmed around the clenching channel as his tongue lapped at her clit before plunging two fingers inside of her. Her walls clutched his digits greedily and Felicity groaned his name.

He went faster, harder… not letting up for a second, not giving her a moment to grow used to his assault on her quivering, tender flesh. Oliver ate her out as he’d wanted to do for far longer than just two weeks. Felicity’s hips began to gyrate on his face, rubbing against his tongue, his lips, his scruff. He plunged in a third finger as he wrapped his lips around her pulsing clit. It was hard in his mouth, engorged with arousal and he sucked on it in time with the thrusting of his fingers.

Felicity shouted out her release and his face was drenched with it. She came hard and the sounds of her cries were music to his ears. Oliver eagerly lapped up everything he could and then slowly withdrew his fingers, gentling the movements of his lips and tongue as he helped ease her down from her orgasm.

He could tell that her knees were weak so he helped guide her down onto the mattress as he rose to sit next to her. Her face was flushed a dark pink and her eyes were bright and wide as she looked at him, as though she was stunned. He couldn’t help but smile at her expression.

“Wow,” she breathed and then leaned in towards him, capturing his lips before he knew that’s what she was going to do. He knew she could taste herself there, knew his chin and cheeks were still damp with her release but Felicity didn’t seem to care as she kissed him deeply, licking into his mouth eagerly.

His cock, which had already been hard as steel in his pants, jumped, eager to join the party. Oliver groaned into her mouth, holding her close.

When she drew back, she was shaking again. “Do you have a condom?” she asked.

It took his brain a few seconds to catch up with what she was asking and why. His mouth went dry and his heart dropped. “Oh… no, I don’t think I do.”

Felicity bit her lip as she regarded him, her gaze dropping into his lap where his needy erection was more than prominent in his pants. “I’m going to have to do something I really don’t want to do.”

Before he could wrap his mind around what _that_ meant, she was up and crossing the room. He opened his mouth to ask what she was about to do but was distracted by the sight of her naked, except for that tantalizing bra and by the time he found his voice, she’d opened the bedroom door and darted out into the hall.

While he waited, he may as well get a head start on the proceedings since he was pretty sure she’d gone to procure a condom. Oliver kicked off his shoes, not caring where they landed and quickly removed his shirt and pants, chucking them aside with little care as well. He was just pushing off his boxer briefs when Felicity returned to the room, cheeks still flushed, ass still naked. She locked the door and turned to him, brandishing a handful of condom packets.

“Do I want to know where you got those?” he asked as he kicked his boxers aside.

“No, you absolutely do not,” she replied. “I am hoping that I forget as soon as possible.”

Felicity stopped in front of him and tossed several of the condoms on her night table. The other, she tore open and knelt to roll onto his dick which was still rock hard. He let his head fall back, groaning at the feel of her small, warm hand on his flesh.

“Fuck, Felicity…” he gasped.

“I need this inside me,” she said, giving his cock an extra squeeze before pushing him back onto the bed. Oliver went willingly, let Felicity take control. He loved seeing the determination in her eyes, the set of her jaw, how her lips quirked as she moved over him, straddling his hips as he scooted up on the bed until his head hit the pillows.

He rested his hands lightly on her hips as she settled over him, her dampness rubbing against his cock. God, that felt _good_. His fingers dug in a little as she sat back and fixed him with a particularly feline smirk. He watched, rapt, as she reached behind her to unhook her bra. His heart tripped in his chest as she pulled the cups away, tossing the garment to the side and revealing her breasts to him.

They weren’t as large as some of the women he’d been with in the past but he thought they were _perfect_. Perfect size to fit in his palms… which he did then, releasing her hips and cupping those supple mounds of flesh instead. They were responsive too and he flicked his thumbs over the nipples, enjoying how they hardened into tight little rosy buds under the stimulation. Best of all? They were _his_.

Felicity lifted up over his hips and reached behind her, taking his cock in hand. Again, she squeezed it, giving him a saucy grin as she did so and making him close his eyes and groan. Then, she positioned him at her entrance and slowly lowered herself, bringing him inside her, inch by inch. Her inner walls squeezed him tightly making him grit his teeth together and swear. It’d only been two weeks; how had he forgotten how _good_ this felt with her already?

“Oh god, Oliver…” she moaned as she sank on him, taking all of him until her pelvis met his.

“Feels so good,” he agreed. “Shit…”

“We need… to do this a _lot_ ,” she said with a small gasp as she circled her hips.

“Baby… I need you to move,” he grit out.

“I am… moving.”

Oliver groaned, the hand on her hip and the one on her breast tightening reflexively. Felicity raised a hand to cover the one on his breast, squeezing her hand over his, showing him what she liked. That was so damn sexy, watching her confident in her own pleasure and taking what she needed from his (very willing) body.

He could see her pleasure was building, the way her breath hitched and her head fell back as she rode him. She released his hand, reaching for her clit and he let het, watching how her fingers touched her clit, rolling it.

“That it,” he growled, feeling his own pleasure spiral up. “Touch yourself, baby. Just like that.”

“Oliver…” Her voice was husky and pleading and turned him on even more. She cried out as she came, just a small orgasm but it was enough to clamp down on his dick and make him curse.

She fell over him, kissing him sloppily as his hips continued to plunge up into hers. Her tongue tangled with his and he reached up to hold her head to his, kissing her fervently and deeply and never wanting to let her go, never wanting this moment to end.

“Fuck, you feel good,” he bit out when she released his lips to kiss along his jaw, her lips soft against his stubble. “I need you to come again for me, baby.”

“Mmm, no… I can’t,” she groaned, biting lightly at his neck.

He knew she had another one in her… a bigger release. He _wanted_ it. “Yes, you can.”

Making a quick decision, he flipped them. It required him to pull out of her, so that he could get her beneath him, on her stomach. He pulled her hips up, encouraging her to get her knees underneath her and as soon as she did, he plunged inside her again.

Felicity cried out, fisting the comforter and Oliver cried out as his hips pushed against her ample rear. Fuck, that felt _amazing_. He was hitting her deeper, harder than before and he started to piston his hips, chasing both of their releases.

“Oh god!” she cried out, her cheek on the mattress. “Yes, Oliver!”

His orgasm was starting to barrel up on him but he wasn’t quite ready for this to end just yet. He pulled on her, lifting her up a little so that he could fit a hand underneath her hips, reaching for her clit. He blanketed her back as he continued to move inside her, thrumming her clit with his fingers and kissing along her shoulders, tasting the sweat that lingered there from their exertions.

Felicity began to shake and she cried out loudly. “Oh! Oliver, I’m—”

He could feel her channel beginning to pulse and tighten, signaling her climax and he thrust harder, faster… deeper than before. “Yes, Felicity… just like that. C’mon, baby. Come for me.”

This time, she came hard, her scream of pure relief filling the quiet of the room and Oliver answered her with a shout of his own as his balls tightened and finally released. He pumped his hips, emptying his seed into the condom as her pussy grabbed him and help him within her. And still he kept thrusting until he was finally spent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo.... what do you all think is next?? ;)


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity decide where they are going from here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we reach the end. Thank you so much to everyone who has followed me on this journey. To everyone who will just be reading this fic for the first time, I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was a labor of love. 
> 
> So enjoy this last chapter... and keep on shipping, shippers.

Oliver and Felicity lay in one another’s arms, their skin dewy with sweat, their hearts thundering in their chests. Oliver turned his head and inhaled the scent of her hair before pressing a kiss to the top of her head, enjoying how her fingers curled against his chest in response. This felt so much _more_ than it had back on Motu Nui. Everything was out in the open, at last, and Oliver felt at peace.

At least… mostly. Because there was something that was starting to niggle at the back of his mind. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and he realized exactly what it was.

“Felicity?” he murmured.

“Hmm?”

“How long do we have left before… the divorce papers…?” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought. But he couldn’t ignore the memory of those papers sitting on his kitchen island. He hadn’t touched them since Felicity had handed them to him two weeks ago.

“Oh…” she said, quietly. “Uh, there’s 90 days total. So I think maybe two and a half months?”

“Do you… still want that?” Oliver held his breath, almost afraid of what her answer might be.

“Do you?”

“Of course not,” he answered quickly.

“I think… all I have to do is call my lawyer, I think?” she replied. “I can do that when I get home. Or… even right now, if you want.”

“So you don’t want—?”

“No. No, I don’t,” she said. Felicity cuddled closer to him, running a foot along his calf. “I was afraid, before. I was falling for you and all I could think of was how my father had left and how Cooper left me in college and how much it _hurt_ when people left… I couldn’t bear it if we got together and you left me too.”

“Felicity, you have to know, I would never—”

She lifted a hand, a single finger laying over his lips, silencing him. “I know, Oliver. Now, I know. I was letting my insecurity get the best of me before. I didn’t… I _couldn’t_ believe that you loved me like I love you. But I believe it now.”

“Good,” he said and he shifted on his side so that he faced her. So that he could kiss her. “So the divorce is off?”

“Totally off.”

Oliver blew out a breath he hadn’t even known he was holding.

“Relieved?” she asked, amused.

“Very.”

They continued to lie there and Oliver traced unseen patterns on her back while he contemplated the ceiling of her room. That made him remember that this was her childhood room and for the first time, he took a good look around. There were posters on the walls and various pictures and awards and trophies. Not to mention a whole host of stuffed animals sitting on top of the dresser.

“I like the stuffed animals,” he remarked.

“Shut up,” she said. “My mom never redecorated.”

“It’s cute.”

“Shut up.”

They fell quiet again and Oliver began thinking. He thought about how glad he was to remain married to Felicity. The last six months had shown him how well they fit together. They’d become _friends_ before they became anything else and he couldn’t fathom spending his days without her or with anyone else. There was only one thing that he regretted.

“I wish I’d given you a proper wedding,” he told her.

Felicity lifted her head and looked at him, a crease between her brows. “But… we weren’t together then. It was just an arrangement. City hall made the most sense—”

“I know it did. But you deserve a wedding with a dress and family present and wedding cake and flowers…”

She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips. “You are such a sweet man. I can’t believe I ever thought you were some careless playboy.”

“I’m serious, Felicity. Some day, our children are going to want to see our wedding pictures and we don’t have any.”

Her eyes went wide, almost comically so. “Our children?”

“I want kids with you, Felicity. I want to see you pregnant, your belly large with my baby, and I want to raise those children together.”

“Wow,” she whispered. “Yeah, I want that too. With you.”

He kissed her; he couldn’t not. Her lips tasted so sweet and the way she sighed made his heart thud hard in his chest. “We both deserve a real wedding.”

“We could have one, you know,” she told him, brushing her nose alongside his.

He moved back so he could look at her more fully. “What do you mean?”

“This is Vegas, Oliver. The wedding capital of America. We could… do another ceremony, here, for us and our friends and family.”

Oliver stared at her as his mind began to race with the possibility. This parents and Thea and Roy could fly down… Tommy too. And Felicity’s mom would be here. She could invite Dinah and they could… they could have another ceremony in front of these people that loved them and this time they would _mean it_.

“Let’s do it,” he said.

“Really?” She smiled.

He nodded. “Yes. Let’s start right now. I’ll call my parents, you call Dinah…”

“My mom will know all the people to call here in town, the best venues, the hottest deals…”

He silenced her with another kiss, a short one. “No need for deals,” he said. “I’ll spare no expense for my beautiful bride.”

Felicity grinned at him. “We’re doing this.”

“Yes, we are.”

***

“How are we doing on time?” Felicity asked as she peered into the makeup mirror and painted on her lipstick.

“You’re good,” Dinah assured her. “There’s about ten minutes before we’re set to start.”

The door to the dressing room opened and Thea and her mother came in, laughing together about something. Thea wore a lavender dress that went great with her hazel eyes and brunette bobbed hair. Dinah had the same dress, more or less, but instead of the sleeveless top, hers was a cap sleeve. Her mother wore a pink dress, cut far more demurely than her usual style. They both carried flowers in their hands, bouquets for each of the girls to carry and a corsage for Donna.

Felicity sat in front of a makeup mirror, trying to apply it but her hands were shaking. “Dammit,” she muttered after she messed up the line on her lips once again.

“Here, let me help,” Thea suggested, coming over to sit next to her. Felicity gladly turned to her and Thea started to work on her face with much steadier hands.

It was just days after Oliver came to Vegas and they reunited. And as they’d hoped, as soon as they called everyone to tell them the plan, their friends and family had rejoiced and hopped on planes to come join them and help them plan the renewal of their vows. Donna had been beside herself when she’d come home to find her and Oliver cuddled up on the sofa, watching Netflix together, and heard of the plans. As Felicity had predicted, she knew just who to call and where to book the venue.

They were at the Bellagio, down on the strip. Oliver had shelled out for their most extravagant wedding package, which was allowing them to renew their vows on a gorgeous balcony overlooking the beautiful fountains. Everything was taken care of and included. Well, almost everything. The tuxes and dresses were their responsibility and as soon as Thea and Dinah had touched down in Vegas the day after she’d called them, they’d gone straight to the boutiques to go shopping.

Felicity had ended up with a beautiful but simple gown. It was sleek, a satin sheath with spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline. The back was bare down to just above her ass and the fabric skimmed her curves before pooling around her feet. She was leaving her hair down, but Dinah had braided a little “crown” around her head, leaving wisps out to soften the look as her natural curls tumbled around her shoulders.

“What were you guys laughing about when you came in?” Felicity asked, thinning her lips so Thea could fix the line.

“We’d just seen Oliver and the boys,” her mother said, her eyes dancing with mirth.

“Oh?”

“Oliver is a wreck.He’s driving Tommy and Roy crazy,” Thea explained with a grin.

“Oh, and Felicity, that suite you two will be staying in is _divine_. You’re going to love the view of the fountains you have.”

“I don’t think she’ll be spending a lot of time looking at fountains,” Dinah remarked, smirking.

“Oliver is a wreck?” Felicity asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing to worry about, honey,” her mother assured her. “He’s just excited and pacing and he keeps asking Tommy if he has the rings and telling Roy to keep his feet off the coffee table. The guys look about ready to throttle him.”

Felicity chuckled. She could definitely relate; she felt a bit at loose ends herself. When she and Oliver had parted ways last night, they’d taken off their wedding bands, so they could be used in the ceremony today. He’d given her another ring then, though. A proper engagement ring with a gorgeous princess cut diamond. Felicity looked down at it now, admiring how it twinkled and shone. He hadn’t had to get her another ring… their plain bands were more than enough for her. But Oliver had insisted that he wanted to give her this, he wanted to give her all the gifts she deserved.

But it was hard being apart from him, even for traditions sake. Though… they already were married, Felicity wasn’t exactly sure it was tradition for already married couples to stay apart before the ceremony. Oliver was very particular about this, though, and Felicity was happy to go along with what he wanted. He was desperate to do this right, feeling he’d let her down before. She couldn’t wait to join hands with him and tell him that he’d never let her down.

“Felicity, before we go out… I have a confession to make,” Thea said, picking at her bouquet and not meeting her eye.

“What is it?”

“Well, you see… you remember back on Motu Nui when I told you guys that you needed to step up the intimacy to convince my mother?”

As if Felicity could forget. She would never forget that first “practice” kiss and all the hand holding and hugging and kissing they’d had to do that whole week for the benefit of Moira Queen. “Yes?”

“Well… Imighthavemadethatup.”

“Excuse me?”

“She made it up,” Dinah said, butting in. She grinned. “And I’m going to need a high five, Thea, because that’s a badass matchmaking move if I’ve ever heard of one.”

Thea’s guilty look quickly disappeared as she gave Dinah a high five. Felicity rolled her eyes. “You know, if this hadn’t all worked out so well, I’d probably be pretty annoyed with you.”

Thea shrugged. “Yeah, but it did. I knew it would. I had faith.”

There was a knock at the door and Donna rushed over to answer it. Robert Queen poked his head inside. “It’s time, ladies.”

From there, it was a bustle of activity. Dinah handing her the bouquet full of pink and lavender flowers, Thea smoothing Felicity’s hair one last time with a brush before grabbing her own little bouquet and her mother pressing a kiss to her check and squeezing her hand as they walked out of the room and towards the terrace where the ceremony was taking place.

Felicity’s heart was in her throat as Thea and Dinah walked out ahead of her. Then, she stood at the rear of the terrace, her mothers arm through hers, waiting for the music to change. She looked out…the sky was turning a lovely purplish-blue, pink around the edges and not a cloud in sight. The Bellagio fountains rose and fell beyond the terrace and their friends and family, only twenty or so guests, stood on either side of an aisle covered in fresh white rose petals. A woman at a harp began to play the processional song and everyone looked her way.

But Felicity only had eyes for what waited at the end of the aisle of petals; Oliver.

There was a chuppah set up, decorated with pink and lavender flowers and Oliver stood under it, in front of John Diggle, who had agreed to officiate over their renewal. Felicity hadn’t even known he was ordained, but Diggle had just smiled enigmatically and Oliver explained that his friend/driver/bodyguard was a man of many hidden talents and he was hardly surprised to learn about this one.

Beside Oliver, resplendent in a black tux, stood Tommy and Roy. Her eyes were locked with Oliver’s, however, and everything else faded away as she walked down the aisle towards him. As she drew near, she saw his eyes were glittering suspiciously and the corners of his lips were just slightly turned up as he watched her.

A calmness stole over her as she and her mother finally reached the end of the aisle. Her mother gave her over to Oliver but Felicity didn’t hear a word, all she knew was the feel of Oliver’s hands sliding into her own.

Diggle began to speak and Felicity really tried to concentrate on what he was saying but all she could do was stare into the blue depths of Oliver’s eyes. He had the most _amazing_ eyes and she knows she’d realized that before, but she’d also never seen them look quite this breathtaking. The sun was quickly setting, the sky growing darker, the pink on the horizon turning fuchsia. The air was mild, considering it was February. But… that was Vegas. Winters here were warmer than some people’s summers.

But the mild breeze was just a backdrop and she probably wouldn’t have even noticed if it had begun snowing. She couldn’t believe they’d made it here, together. Never, in a million years, did she think something like this could happen. Best case scenario for her arrangement with Oliver had been they’d remain legally married for several years and then part amicably when Oliver inevitably fell in love with someone else and they’d remain friends for the rest of their lives. After Motu Nui, Felicity thought the best case scenario was she’d eventually get over her broken heart and one day might not even miss him so badly that her heart felt like an empty crater in her chest.

This was such a reversal of fortune that Felicity had spent the last two days pinching herself, just to prove it wasn’t a dream she was about to wake up from. That first night, after they’d made their phone calls and her mom had gone off to bed, they’d talked. And Oliver had told her that he hadn’t hooked up with, dated or even kissed anyone in six months. Actually, the last time was the incident that had ended up in the news that had made Felicity so angry just a month after their wedding. He’d apologized again for that, saying the whole thing was regrettable and he hadn’t even liked her… he’d just offered her a ride home and she’d kissed him. Add in a couple of opportunist photographers and he made the front page of the tabloids.

He’d cheered up noticeably when she’d told him she hadn’t seen anyone either.

As if she could have. There was a guy she saw at her favorite coffee shop every morning and he’d flirted with her for months. Felicity knew all she’d need to do was flirt back and he would have asked her out. And before Oliver, she would have at least given some effort but since their “wedding”… she hadn’t had the heart for it. Every man was measured against Oliver, even subconsciously, and no one could beat him. She’d denied it to herself for quite a while, sure, but the fact was: there was no other man for her than Oliver Queen.

“And now, I believe these two have written their own vows for one another. Felicity?” Diggle prompted.

For a half a second, she nearly forgot the words she’d written down the day before. She squeezed Oliver’s hands in her own and smiled at him. “Oliver, when you told me you wished you could have given me a proper wedding, the first thing that went through my mind was that the only requirement for a proper wedding is you as the groom. And I’d already had that. I know you think you’ve let me down but you never have. Not once in the last seven months. In fact, if anything, you kept exceeding my expectations. Just when I thought I knew the man you are, you’d do something or say something and I would be left amazed. Thank you for letting me see the real you, the you that was kept so well hidden from the public. Thank you for trusting me with that side of you, and with your heart. I will do everything I can for the rest of our lives, to honor that gift and keep your heart safe.”

Oliver’s eyes weren’t just glittering by the time she finished, they were shining and she could feel the tears gathering in her own as well. He squeezed back on her hands and took a breath. “That was beautiful, thank you,” he murmured.

They both looked to Diggle, who looked pleased. He nodded his agreement. “Oliver, your vows?”

He cleared his throat and Felicity smiled at him encouragingly. “Felicity, it means a lot for you to say that I’ve never let you down but I need you to understand something; you deserve a wedding like this. You deserve a hundred weddings like this. I would marry you every day for the rest of our lives just to give you the ceremony you deserve to have. You deserve to have a husband who is crazy about you, who can’t stop thinking about you, who loves you so much it feels like his heart is going to burst when he looks at you. I can’t even express how lucky I feel that I get to be that husband for you. Thank you for giving me another chance, for giving _us_ a chance. I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you never regret it. And I can’t wait to move on to the next step with you, to grow our family together. I want to be the father of your children, Felicity, I want to raise them with you and teach them what love looks like.”

Her breath was caught in her throat. A _family_. She could scarcely allow herself to think about it, to hope for it… but looking into Oliver’s eyes and seeing the honesty and love there, she knew he would give her the courage to take that step.

Tommy gave Diggle the rings he’d kept in his tux pocket and he said a few words but Felicity didn’t even hear them. Oliver’s words were replaying in her mind and her heart was full. Diggle handed Oliver one of the rings and he held her left hand up, slipping the ring onto her finger next to the sparkling engagement ring. Then, he lifted her hand and brushed a kiss over the knuckles. Felicity had her turn, taking the larger ring from Diggle and slipping it onto Oliver’s finger, squeezing his hand and appreciate the rough firmness of it.

“Oliver… Felicity… I now pronounce you… well, _still_ married,” Diggle said at last. “Please, Oliver, kiss your wife.”

He’d hardly finished the sentence before Oliver was sweeping her into his arms, his lips descending upon hers in an all-consuming kiss. Felicity could hear the cheers of those who were gathered but it was just background noise. She didn’t even seen the fountains shoot up water behind them or feel the mist. All she cared about was Oliver and the feel of his lips on hers. His arms came around her, holding her close and she threw her arms around his neck, bouquet and all, and kissed him back for all she was worth.

 

The reception was a raucous, rowdy and absolutely brilliant affair. The mood was joyful and everyone came to have a great time, including the not-so-newlyweds. Felicity noticed that even Moira and Robert were having a great time, dancing with everyone else on the dance floor in the ballroom the Bellagio had provided. She also couldn’t help but notice Tommy flirting with Dinah throughout the evening. He brought her drinks, chatted with her over dinner and even got her to dance with him a few times.

They ended up staying at the party until nearly the end of the evening. They were just having so much fun and not just with each other. It felt wonderful to let loose and enjoy their friends and family and to celebrate with them all.

Still, as the night grew late, Felicity noticed the way Oliver would look at her, whether he was standing right next to her or across the room. His eyes were heated every time they met hers and she knew that he was already imagining their wedding night.

Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who had noticed. Her mother came up to them as they were swaying together on the dance floor. Oliver stopped them both with a soft touch to Felicity’s hip and they turned to regard her.

“What are you two still doing down here?” she asked, her hands on her hips.

“Mom…” Felicity said warningly, feeling the blush rise in her cheeks.

“I was enjoying dancing with my bride, Donna,” Oliver said matter of factly.

“Please, call me mom,” she said, grinning at him. “And I would think you two would like to put that gorgeous penthouse suite you have for the next couple of nights to good use instead.”

“Mother!” She cried it this time and a few of their guests looked their way.

Oliver and her mother just laughed. “Oh, honey. Don’t be so embarrassed. Anyone with two eyes can see how much this man here wants to get you alone.”

Her husband shrugged a shoulder casually. “It’s true. I do.”

“Don’t you worry about a thing,” her mother said, shooing them off the dance floor. “I’ll take care of everything. You just go upstairs and enjoy each other. I had your suitcase delivered this afternoon, Felicity, so all you need is yourself.”

From the look in Oliver’s eyes, Felicity thought she might not even need her suitcase. Clothes weren’t going to be high on either of their priority lists, she had a feeling.

As much as she would have liked to quietly slip out the doors, it wasn’t in the cards. Tommy noticed they were headed to the exit and insisted on commandeering the DJ’s microphone and giving them a big send off. But it was rather lovely to see all their loved ones gathered, applauding for them, as they waved and headed out of the ballroom.

Their penthouse was on one of the upper floors; Oliver had stayed there the night before with Tommy and Roy and Diggle while Dinah, Thea and Diggle’s wife Lyla had crashed at Felicity’s mom’s house with her. He knew exactly where to go and punch the floor number in the elevator and once it was clear they had the lift all to themselves, pulled her into his arms.

“I love you, Mrs. Queen,” he told her.

“And I you, Mr. Smoak,” she replied softly, running her nose alongside his and enjoying how he shivered.

“I can’t wait to get you alone in that room.” His voice was a deep growl that gave her shivers of her own.

“You just had me two days ago,” she reminded him.

“That was an eternity ago. Besides, I have seven months of celibacy to make up for with you. I’ve only just begun.”

That sounded like a tantalizing promise to her.

The elevator doors opened and Oliver pulled her out and into the hallway. He kept his arms around her as he walked her to the door, making her chuckle and grab onto him tighter for stability. Then, he pressed her into the wall and lifted her a little so that he could run his nose down her neck, kissing softly at her neck. Felicity nearly whimpered.

“Oliver…”

“Yes, wife?”

“Let’s get inside…”

He chuckled and his stubble brushed against her neck making her inhale sharply. “Feeling impatient, wife?”

“Yes, husband, so make with the keycard and let’s get in there,” she replied breathlessly.

Oliver kept chuckling as he released her, letting her find her feet again. He opened the door swiftly and before he could grab her again, Felicity sailed past him and into the suite.

There was a little foyer with a powder bath off to one side and a wet bar off to the other. And straight ahead…

“Oh, Oliver! That view!” she exclaimed. A living room with a small dining area extended beyond the foyer and the large picture windows looked out over the Vegas strip and gave them a perfect view of the Bellagio fountains. Fountains that were spouting water in synchronization to a song she couldn’t hear but it was still a breathtaking sight. She might have grown up in Vegas but even she wasn’t immune to the spectacle. And tonight, her heart was feeling very open to romance and spectacle.

Oliver came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back against his chest. His lips were at her ear. “It’s stunning but not nearly as stunning as you.”

Felicity rolled her eyes but smiled. “Wow. Real marriage makes you cheesy.”

“ _You_ make me cheesy. Now…” He kissed along her neck again, pulling her hair aside to give himself better access. “… Do you want to look at the view or do you want to go check out the bedroom.”

His teeth nibbled just below her ear and Felicity felt her knees go weak. “Bedroom,” she rasped.

His lips left her skin and before Felicity could gather her wits about her once more, Oliver swept her up into his arms, carrying her bridal style. He cocked an eyebrow at her, a rather smug expression, before he strode into the adjoining bedroom. The first thing she noticed, once she could tear her eyes off of him, was the rose petals _everywhere_. And then she noticed the enormous bed that dominated the space and the windows looking out on that fountain beyond.

“Oh, Oliver…”

“You like it?”

“It’s perfect…”

They undressed each other slowly, reverently. Felicity delighted in his suspenders for quite a while, running her fingers along them and tugging experimentally until he’d grinned at her. Oliver clearly enjoyed peeling her dress from her body, kissing over each inch of exposed skin as it was revealed to him.

By the time both of them were naked, they were each shaking and breathing hard, eyes wide and skin warmed from arousal. Then, there was only one thing to do, only one thing on either of their minds. They came together, holding each other and kissing as they sank down onto the mattress.

Oliver made love to her and she made love to him. They touched and tasted one another, finally joining their bodies and building each other up to the highest peaks, until they both called out each other’s names in release.

Then… they started over again. And again. And again. Until the sky started to lighten in the west heralding the dawn and that is when they both collapsed, exhausted, in one another’s arms and let sleep finally claim them.

***

After a few more days in Vegas, Oliver and Felicity flew home to Star City. They each had companies that needed their attention after a tumultuous month in which neither of them had had their mind of business much at all. But Oliver promised Felicity that he would take her on a honeymoon.

That gave her (and him) the impetus to work hard to wrap up their respective projects, including the joint Wayne/Queen/Smoak project that they’d worked on for months together. The papers got wind of their vow renewal ceremony (and the divorce being called off) and that meant that reporters and paparazzi followed them about town, hoping for a picture or a quote or something that would break a big story about their relationship. But Oliver and Felicity weren’t talking. No, when they weren’t busy at work, they were busy with one another. What little time they had outside of the office was spent with one another, in the privacy of their beautiful apartment.

There’d been a little squabble at first about whose bedroom would become _their_ bedroom… ultimately deciding on Felicity’s room. She had the better furnishings, she argued, and the better view, overlooking the bay rather than the city. Oliver had sulked a little bit until Felicity pointed out that his room could become the nursery… some day. When they were ready.

Oliver wanted to shout across the rooftops that he was ready now, that he wanted so badly to make a baby with her and see her grow round with child and dote on her need. He wanted to become a parent with her, to see their child in her arms, to watch that child grow into their own person. But… he could be patient. For now.

In the meantime, he satisfied himself by making love to Felicity whenever he got the chance. It didn’t matter if it was late at night and they were both exhausted after long days in the office, or if it was a quick coupling underneath the spray of their enormous shower, or if it was on the kitchen counter while he was making them pancakes before heading into work on a Saturday. There was even one memorable afternoon where she’d stopped by his office to go over some business and they’d ended up going at it right there on his desk.

A month later, they finally had a chance to take a breath. Oliver had made the plans weeks before for their honeymoon, just leaving the dates penciled in until he knew for sure they could take the time. As soon as Felicity’s assistant told him that her schedule was cleared for the next week, he told his own assistant that he would be out of the office (and out of contact) and told his wife to pack her suitcase.

“Where are we going?” she asked him as she folded a sundress he recognized from Motu Nui and set it on her suitcase.

“It’s a surprise.”

“All I know is it’s someplace warm. Another beach?” she asked hopefully. Oliver grinned at her. It’d been a cold, rough winter in Star City and even though it was nearing the end of March, it didn’t look to be letting up anytime soon. The last time either of them had seen blue skies and sunshine had been while they were in Vegas, in fact.

“Maybe,” was all he would say.

The next day, he had Diggle drive them to the airport before the sun was even up, but they didn’t go to the departures terminal. Instead, they went around the back of the airfield to the private terminal. They were taking the Queen jet.

“You’re just doing this to keep it a secret from me, mister,” Felicity said as Oliver helped her from the back of the car and she regarded the small jet before them.

“Maybe.”

“I’m starting to hate that word.”

The plane had to stop for fuel outside St. Louis, Missouri and the direction of where they were going had Felicity completely flummoxed. Oliver enjoyed it (and he refused to give in and tell her, regardless of how many “favors” she offered him). He distracted her with a movie and a board game and she ended up dozing for a little while before they landed. In fact, she didn’t wake up until the plane had come to a complete stop and the door was opened.

Oliver shook her shoulder. “Felicity… time to wake up. We’re here.”

Her eyelashes fluttered. “Wha—? Five more minutes…”

He smiled down at her, brushing her hair away from her face. He picked up her glasses which she’d taken off and set on the table next to the small sofa she’d been lying on. “Nope, right now. C’mon, baby.”

“Y’re so _mean_ ,” she mumbled, but allowed him to help her sit up and took her glasses when he offered them. She slipped them onto her face and stretched her arms, blinking her eyes open. “Where are we?”

“Why don’t you come see?” he said, gesturing towards the open jet door.

Oliver helped her up and together they walked to the door. Felicity blinked out at the setting sunshine. Evening was creeping up but there was enough sun left to really highlight the beauty of their surroundings.

They were on a small airstrip and there was a low building and a tower there. But beyond that was just a road disappearing into the jungle on one side, and crystal blue ocean on the other. Felicity gasped.

“What is this place??” she asked.

He helped her stepped out onto the jet stairs and the descended behind her. She was looking all around at the lush paradise around them. There was a cart waiting for them, one of the employees waiting behind the wheel while a few more met the jet to gather their luggage.

“This is Bruce Wayne’s private Caribbean island,” Oliver said. “I pulled a few strings. He was so pleased with the results of our recent joint venture that he was happy to loan us the place for a week.”

“Holy frack… _private island_?? You mean… all this for us? No other guests?”

Oliver shook his head, smiling. There’s a few staff who are here to cook for us and provide some housekeeping and other services, but they take the boat to Nassau every evening. And if I request it, they will give us a few days alone.”

“Uhm… request it,” she said, beaming up at him. He kissed her then, unable to resist. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

“I will,” he murmured, placing little kisses on her lips.

The ride to the house was short; the island wasn’t very large to begin with. When they arrived, Oliver asked the driver to put in a request that they have food delivered, enough for the next several days, but that otherwise they would prefer to be left alone. Then, he escorted Felicity into the home.

He’d seen the pictures Bruce had sent him but they had nothing on the real thing. The entire home was a single story, perched on the edge of the jungle, the sand stretching out from the back patio and into the ocean beyond. The windows and doors were open, letting in the warm ocean breeze. The finishes were all high end, sparkling fixtures, sumptuous furnishings and gleaming floors. Their bungalow on Motu Nui had been amazing, but this was another level of high class altogether.

“Oh… Oliver…” she breathed, walking through the house to the back, where the doors were open to the deck and the beach beyond.

He came up behind her and put his arms around her, hugging her to him. “In about thirty minutes, someone is going to come by with enough groceries for us to keep ourselves alive for the next several days or so. And then… we’re going to be _all alone_.”

She shivered a little and he knew it wasn’t because she was feeling cold. “All alone? No… prying eyes?”

“Not a single one. Besides you and I, that is.”

“Hmmm.” She fell silent for a moment. “Well, I have a new rule for the next several days then.”

“And what’s that?”

“No clothes.”

“No clothes?”

Felicity shook her head, her hair brushing his chin. “Not a stitch. As soon as the staff leaves, we both strip and no clothes allowed. Deal?”

“That’s a bold call, Felicity,” he said, chuckling. He pictured it, both of them bared to one another. Playing in the surf, laying out on towels on the sand, fixing meals together, sleeping together… “I like it.”

She snuggled back against him. “Good. Brilliant idea if I do say so myself.”

“You _are_ the genius in this relationship,” he agreed.

“Don’t you forget it, mister.”

Oliver doubted that he ever would.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are appreciated, comments are adored. 
> 
> Catch me on [tumblr](http://callistawolf.tumblr.com) or [twitter](http://twitter.com/callistawolf)!


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